Death toll from Indonesia earthquake rises to 11

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Death Toll From Indonesia Earthquake Rises To 11
Indonesia Earthquake, © AP/Press Association Images
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By Associated Press Reporters

Rescuers on Indonesia’s Sumatra island have retrieved more bodies from a strong earthquake two days ago, raising the death toll to 11 while another 400 were injured and thousands displaced.

The body of the latest victim was recovered from the rubble of homes toppled by the magnitude 6.2 earthquake that shook West Sumatra province on Friday morning, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari.

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Indonesia Earthquake
A man sits in the ruins of a badly damaged mosque after an earthquake in West Pasaman district, West Sumatra (Ardhy Fernando/AP)

Six people died in Pasaman district and another five in neighbouring West Pasaman district, he said.

Rescuers were still searching for four villagers believed to be buried under tons of mud that tumbled down from the surrounding hills in Bukit Lintang village in Pasaman.

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Nearly 400 people were injured by the earthquake whose tremors were felt as far away as Malaysia and Singapore, and about 42 people were still receiving treatment, Mr Muhari said.


Indonesia Earthquake
Earthquake survivors sleep inside a tent at a temporary shelter in Pasaman Barat, West Sumatra (Ardhy Fernando/AP)

More than 13,000 people fled their homes to temporary shelters, and over 1,400 houses and buildings were damaged, he said.

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Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 270 million people, is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines that arcs the Pacific.

The last major 6.2 magnitude quake was in January 2021, when at least 105 people died and nearly 6,500 were injured in West Sulawesi province.


Indonesia Earthquake
Residents inspect the ruins of their house in West Pasaman district (Ardhy Fernando/AP)

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A powerful Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 killed nearly 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.

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