Indonesia: Another 4.2-magitude quake shakes West Sulawesi

Damage caused by the earthquake in West Sulawesi (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Jakarta (VNA) – Another earthquake, measuring 4.2 magnitude, shook Majene district, West Sulawesi of Indonesia, on January 18, four days after a 5.9-magnitude quake jolted the central province.

The tremors could be felt in the coastal city of Mamuju.

According to the Indonesia Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), the epicentre was at the depth of 10km, and 16km to the east of Majene.

Since January 14, Mamuju and Majene have been repeatedly struck by quakes and subsequent aftershocks.

A 6.2-magnitude quake on January 15 claimed 81 lives and injured more than 820 people. It has also forced about 28,000 people to flee their homes to seek safety.

Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide and large portion of the world’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

In 2018, a devastating 6.2-magnitude quake and tsunami struck the city of Palu, further north in Sulawesi, killing thousands of people./.

VNA