Obi island jolted by series of quakes

Obi island jolted by series of quakes

JAKARTA (JP): Obi island in North Maluku was jolted by dozens of aftershocks yesterday following the massive tremor that shook the island on Monday, officials in Ambon, capital of Maluku province, said yesterday.

Poor communications links with the island are hindering reports on casualties and damage. Officials in Ambon said they were still waiting for further news from Obi, which could take a day or two.

Hendry Subakti, head of the local meteorology and geophysics agency, told The Jakarta Post yesterday that his office recorded no less than 115 tremors affecting Obi throughout the day.

The first and largest quake struck the island on Monday afternoon. It measured 6.1 on the Richter scale, Hendry said.

The second quake, measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale, struck later that evening.

The aftershocks since then have been weaker in comparison, he added. "The quakes may continue in the next few days but with lesser frequency and intensity," he said.

The U.S. Geological Survey in Colorado measured the first tremor at 6.8 on the same scale.

"We will have to wait for a few days to find out the extent of any casualties and damage," Hendry said. The only way to get to the island is by boat, which takes two days and 10 hours from Ambon.

A quake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck the island last October. Although there were no casualties, the quake left several people injured and caused serious damage to houses and other buildings on the island. (rms)