Quakes rocks Flores, kills one

Quakes rocks Flores, kills one

JAKARTA (JP): A two-year-old girl was killed and five others were injured in an earthquake which shook eastern Flores island, East Nusa Tenggara Sunday, a press report said yesterday.

Antara reported that the quake, which damaged more than a dozen buildings, had its epicenter under the Flores Sea, about 39 kilometers northeast of Larantuka.

Officials of the local meteorology and geophysics office said the quake, which struck at 2.13 p.m. local time, registered 4.7 on the Richter scale.

Dozens of minor aftershocks measuring less than 4.5 on the Richter scale were felt in the Larantuka district yesterday but there was no report on damage or casualties.

An earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale also struck the Enggano island in Bengkulu at 10 a.m. yesterday. No casualties or damages were reported in the quake, the epicenter of which was under the Indian Ocean, local meteorology and geophysics office said.

Meanwhile, in the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, officials warned residents of possible strong aftershocks yesterday following Saturday's quake that injured at least 26 people and destroyed scores of houses.

"The earthquake has been followed by between 200 or 300 tremors," said Rivai of the local meteorology and geophysics office.

He added that the tremors, registered at between 1 and 2 on the Richter scale, were too weak to cause damage. (anr)