Quake destroys hundreds of houses in Flores

JAKARTA (JP): An earthquake measuring 5.2 on the open-ended Richter scale destroyed several hundred houses and injured at least one person in eastern Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday.

An official at the local office of Meteorology and Geophysics, Ahmad Lani, told Antara that the epicenter of the quake that occurred at 9.40 local time was 33 kilometers under the Flores Sea, about 15 kilometers north of Larantuka.

According to East Flores Regent Henky Mukin, West Adonara was worst hit by the quake. Among the devastated buildings were a church and a police station.

An off-duty teacher was seriously injured when his house collapsed, the report said.

Henky said that he was awaiting detailed reports from village chiefs in all stricken areas.

In West Adonara the quake was the second in less than a month, after a quake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale recently shook the area, killing one person.

"Many buildings which were already cracked from the last quake crumbled on Saturday," Henky said.

Many residents were so terrified of possible aftershocks that they opted to stay outdoors on Saturday night, he added.

The situation has been worsened by the pounding rains, Henky said, and the people are worried about floods and landslides. (pan)