On Sunday, the death toll from a 6.2 - magnitude earthquake on Indonesia's Sulawesi island rose to 84, as rescue workers continued the search for survivors trapped in rubble while aftershocks rattled the island.
Seventy-three people died in Friday's quake in the city of Mamuju, to the north of the epicenter, while another 11 were killed in Majene, a city about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Mamuju. Thousands of residents fled their homes to seek safety, but many are still trapped under collapsed buildings, according to local search and rescue teams.
At least 253 people were seriously hurt and another 679 suffered minor injuries, said Raditya Jati, from Indonesia's National Board for Disaster Management. The quake also triggered a power outage and caused three landslides along the main road connecting Majene and Mamuju.
The quake has created an additional headache for a nation already battling a serious coronavirus outbreak. Indonesia has reported at least 907,929 Covid-19 cases and nearly 26,000 related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
The head of Indonesia's disaster management agency, Doni Monardo, said Sunday that rapid antigen test kits were being provided to evacuation centers to check and trace for potential Covid-19 transmission among the 19,435 people displaced by the earthquake.
"Later there will be an antigen swab process, to ensure that refugees are not exposed to Covid-19," Doni said. He added that displacement centers have been asked to separate vulnerable groups from young people to prevent the virus spreading.
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency cautioned that aftershocks could still occur and urged those living in hilly areas to be aware of landslides. People living near the coast were also warned to stay away from the beach in case of tsunamis.
Meanwhile, rescue teams were continuing to free people trapped under collapsed buildings in multiple locations across Mamuju -- including two hotels and a hospital. "People are reporting that their family members are trapped under collapsed houses and asking for our help," Ariyanto Ardi, section head of the local disaster management department.
"We still have no details how many people are buried under those flattened buildings," he added.
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