Dili quake death toll rises to five

Dili quake death toll rises to five

DILI, East Timor (JP): The death toll from Sunday's earthquake rose to five yesterday, with four more victims found in the Ermera Regency west of here.

Nine other people remain unaccounted for, East Timor Police Chief Col. Andreas Sugianto told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

Andreas said that those missing were mostly fishermen who were out at sea when the quake took place. The authorities have combed the coast in search of the missing people but, so far, to no avail.

Sunday's quake measured 6.8 on the Richter scale with its epicenter about 150 kilometers south of Dili, the city initially thought to have been worst affected.

As reports from other cities came in, it became apparent that the Ermera district had also been badly hit.

Besides the five people confirmed to have been killed in the disaster, five people are currently in the local hospital with serious injuries sustained as a result of the quake. (yac)