Around 73 individuals have died post a fatal earthquake struck the West Sulawesi province of Indonesia on Friday, said the BNPB on Sunday, the latest series of disasters to have hit the country.
Over 820 individuals were injured while more than 27,800 had to leave their houses post the quake, said Raditya Jati, a spokesman for BNPB. A few sought shelter in the hills while the remaining went to the cramped evacuation facilities, said the witnesses.
Military and police officers have been appointed to solve the looting in many parts of the area, said Jati.
One emergency response initiative, intended to aid the rescue, has been deployed as well for fifteen days, he said.
The Southeast Asian country is hit regularly by quakes. A deadly 6.2 magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit the Palu city in Sulawesi in 2018, killing thousands.
Notably, only a few days into 2021, Indonesia is fighting many disasters.
Floods in South Kalimantan and North Sulawesi province each have claimed the lives of around 5 this month. Meanwhile, the landslides in the West Java province have claimed the lives of around 29, said the authorities.
One Sriwijaya Air jet had crashed into Java Sea on 9 January with 62 passengers onboard.
