Indonesia: two earthquakes in one day cause at least 40 deaths and widespread damage

The ground shook a second time in one day in Indonesia. While the country was hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the east which left at least 40 dead, a second earthquake occurred this Saturday afternoon. This time, magnitude 6.9.

The epicenter of this new earthquake was located in Pematangsiantar, 126 km southeast of the island's capital, Medan, in western Indonesia. At least 40 people were killed Saturday morning in a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in eastern Indonesia. The vast Indonesian archipelago experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the "Pacific Ring of Fire."

People trapped in the rubble

Fathur Rahman, head of the emergency services, indicated that the death toll stood at 40 dead and 50 injured on Saturday evening. AFP journalists saw residents in the north of the island of Flores hurrying to move away from the coast, fearing a destructive rise in water levels. On some homes, entire sections of facades had collapsed. The head of the National Disaster Management Agency, Suharyanto, said people were trapped in several buildings.

“These will be the first targets of the intervention teams,” said Suharyanto, who, like many Indonesians, uses only one name. A previous report reported 38 deaths. The disaster management agency is preparing two helicopters and a plane to assist in relief operations, he added.