Five killed, six injured in earthquake

Five killed, six injured in earthquake

Kasparman Piliang, The Jakarta Post, Padang, West Sumatra

At least five people, including a mother and her daughter, were
killed and six others were severely injured after a fairly strong
earthquake hit West Sumatra on Monday night.

The earthquake, measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale, also
damaged 70 houses in Tanah Datar regency in the province.

Sumarso, an official at the Padang Panjang Geophysics and
Meteorology Agency, said that the earthquake, which affected all
parts of West Sumatra, happened at 9:44 p.m. on Monday.

The epicenter was located beneath Mount Tandikat in the
Malalak area of Agam regency, some 40 kilometers from Padang
city, the capital of West Sumatra.

He said that the earthquake was felt in Tanah Datar regency
and Malalak area, and the intensity reached 5 MMI (Modified
Mercalli Intensity).

The five people killed were all residents of Tanah Datar
regency. They were Rosi, 34 and her daughter Annisa, 2, the
residents of Pitalah subdistrict in the regency, while two others
were Upik, 75 and Sinto, 76, the residents of neighboring
subdistrict Gunung Sago. Another dead victim has not been
identified yet.

Those victims died after the roof of their houses collapsed.

Antonius, the brother of Rosi, recalled that the residents in
Pitalah subdistrict quickly ran out of their homes after the
rumbling began and the power soon went off.

The residents suddenly heard someone crying. When they traced
the source, they realized it was coming from Rosi's house. When
they arrived in the area, they saw that the house had collapsed.
The residents tried to save Rosi and Annisa, but they could not
get to them in time.

The only survivor in the house was Sinta, 5, another daughter
of Rosi, who was admitted to Ibnu Sina Hospital in Padang Panjang
city. Sinta had bruises on her head and leg.

The other injured victims came from the neighboring
subdistrict of Gunung Sago.

Masriadi Martunus, the Tanah Datar Regent, said that Gunung
Sago was the area in his regency that was hardest hit. "Some 70
houses were damaged. The material losses are not accounted for
yet," he said.

The temblor was also felt in Padang city, but no fatalities or
building damage have been reported.

Tension continued to grip the area near Mount Tandikat, as
aftershocks continued until Tuesday morning. "At least 60
aftershocks were felt in the area, but they were of a smaller
magnitude than the first tremor," said Sumarso.

Sumarso said it was the most powerful seismic activity in West
Sumatra in over two years. A similar quake, measuring 4.5 on
Richter scale, hit in March 2003 and destroyed 10 houses located
on the slopes of the mountain.

This is the second deadly quake in the country in as many
weeks. A powerful 6.9 quake hit a sparsely populated area near
Nabire, Papua on Feb. 6. In Nabire the death toll has reached 37,
with hundreds more injured.