One dead, 22 injured as quake hits Maluku

The Jakarta Post, January 18 2016


A 5.4 magnitude quake that struck South Buru regency in Maluku on Sunday killed one and injured many others, a spokesman from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said on Monday.

BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that based on the agency's data, one person had died while 19 had suffered light injuries and three suffered serious injuries in the quake.

The quake, at a depth of 10 kilometers, hit the southern part of Maluku's Buru Island on Sunday at 6:22 a.m.

It was also felt in the neighboring regency of Buru, damaging hundreds of houses and a mosque.

The local administration and South Buru Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) had had difficulty managing the disaster and assisting victims because of limited access, high waves and bad weather in reaching the affected location, Sutopo said.

Local officials are focusing on evacuating residents as necessary and distributing aids to victims. The aid supplies included medicine, food and construction materials, Sutopo added


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