One dies, hundreds evacuate after 7.3 quake in Indonesia

At least one person has been found dead and hundreds wereevacuated after a major 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit the remote Maluku islandsin eastern Indonesia on Sunday, an official said.

The shallow quake struck about 165 kilometres (100 miles)south-southwest of the town of Ternate in North Maluku province at 6:28 pm(0928 GMT), according to the US Geological Survey.

   

In South Halmahera district, the closest area to theepicentre, around 160 houses collapsed when the shallow earthquake struck. Awoman was confirmed dead in the disaster.

“The victim was hit by the debris when her housecollapsed,” local disaster mitigation agency official Ihksan Subur toldAFP Monday, adding no other casualties have been reported.

Hundreds of people are still sheltering in several schools,government buildings and higher grounds.

“The aftershocks still happen very frequently so peopleare still traumatised and don’t dare to return home just yet,” Subur said.

Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agencysaid until Monday morning at least 52 aftershocks have been recorded after theinitial quake.

Local government officials have started to distributelogistics and food for the evacuees.

North Maluku province was also hit by a 6.9-magnitude tremorlast week but no extensive damage or casualties were reported.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activitydue to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonicplates collide.

Last year, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami inPalu on Sulawesi island killed more than 2,200 people, with another thousanddeclared missing.

On December 26, 2004, a devastating 9.1-magnitude earthquakestruck off the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000across the Indian Ocean region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.

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