There are fears the death toll will rise further (Photo: https://www.bbc.com/)Jakarta (VNA) - Torrential rains have hampered the search for victims in anearthquake in Indonesia’s Sulawesi island which killed at least 73 and leftthousands homeless.
Excavators and cranes were deployed across the devastated seaside city ofMamuju, which suffered the 6.2-magnitude quake on January 15.
It was unclear how many people - dead or alive - could still be under themountains of debris in the aftermath.
Local police have deployed sniffer dogs to help in the search at a badlydamaged hospital.
Rescuers said thatthe rain poses risks because damaged buildings could collapse if it gets tooheavy, and aftershocks could move them too.
The quake brought in 28 aftershocks, destroyed hundreds of houses and manyoffice buildings, hotels, hospitals and shopping centres in Mamuju city andMajene district.
More than 820people were injured and about 15,000 left their homes after the quake.
Straddling the so-called Pacific ‘ring offire’, Indonesia, an archipelago of high tectonic activity, is regularly hit byearthquakes.
In 2018, a devastating 6.2-magnitude quake and tsunami struck the city of Palu,further north in Sulawesi, killing thousands of people./.
VNA
