Quake kills 296 in Indonesia
2005-03-28 23:57
Jakarta - A powerful earthquake that struck off Indonesia's western coast killed about 300 people on Nias Island, the local government said on Tuesday.
About 70% of the houses and buildings in the market area in the town of Gunungsitoli collapsed from the quake that struck late Monday, said Sergeant Zulkifli Sirait from the local police station on the island located off Sumatra's western coast.
"It is possible that hundreds of people trapped in the collapsed buildings died," he said.
Agus Mendrofa, deputy district head on Nias island, told el-Shinta radio station that 296 people had perished in the massive 8.7-magnitude earthquake.
He said that figure was based on reports from humanitarian workers on the island.
Nias, a renowned surfing spot, was badly hit by the December 26 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that killed at least 174 000 people in 11 Indian Ocean nations. In that quake, at least 340 Nias residents perished and 10 000 were left homeless.
Indonesian officials said the epicentre of Monday's quake was located 90km south of the island of Simeulue, off of Sumatra's western coast, and just north of Nias.
- AP