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Death toll from West Sumatra quake rises to 10 people
Authorities were still continuing the search for missing persons on Saturday, with electricity and telecommunication services yet to be restored in the two regencies hardest hit by the disaster.
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Rescue teams and villagers use heavy equipment in an effort to evacuate victims from the rubble of a mosque, in West Pasaman, on February 25, 2022, after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit the area and damaged hundreds of houses and public facilities. (AFP/Ardhy Fernando)
T
he number of fatalities in the West Sumatra earthquake has risen to 10 people, with authorities continuing the search for missing persons on Saturday, while electricity and telecommunication services have yet to be fully restored in the two regencies hardest hit by the disaster.
The 6.2-magnitude quake hit Talamau district, West Pasaman regency, West Sumatra on Friday at a depth of 10 kilometers, damaging buildings and displacing thousands.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) had recorded up to 62 aftershocks as of 3 p.m. Saturday, the strongest of which reached 5.1 magnitude. No tsunami warning was issued.
Pasaman Regent Benny Utama said that as of Saturday at least six people had died, although authorities were continuing their search and rescue efforts to determine whether there were other fatalities in the disaster.
“We are working on finding more victims of this disaster,” Benny said in an online press conference on Saturday.
He said that authorities had managed to evacuate some residents to safer spots, such as district offices or open soccer fields, in anticipation of future aftershocks, although some were still insistent on staying in their houses.
“Some residents are still reluctant to be evacuated as they don’t want to leave their house, belongings and livestock [behind]. They [prefer to] sleep outside their houses,” Benny said.
