JAKARTA • Indonesia's Moluccas Islands were hit by scores of aftershocks yesterday after an earthquake killed at least two people and prompted hundreds to flee their homes.
Rescuers were struggling to reach parts of the area hit by the quake in eastern Indonesia on Sunday due to its remoteness, warning that the death toll could rise.
Indonesia's meteorology agency recorded Sunday's quake at a magnitude of 7.2 at a depth of 10km on the southern part of Halmahera in North Moluccas. The quake was also felt in Sulawesi and Papua.
Around 2,000 people have been displaced and at least 58 houses damaged, said Mr Agus Wibowo, a spokesman for Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency. About 28,000 people live in the zone closest to the epicentre.
"We don't wish for more victims, but we cannot rule out that possibility since access to the area is difficult and we cannot yet collect all the data regarding casualties," Mr Wibowo told reporters in Jakarta.
As of yesterday, 66 aftershocks had been recorded and some people in Halmahera were still taking refuge on high ground, fearing a tsunami, Mr Wibowo said.
The authorities did not issue a tsunami warning for the quake.
Indonesia sits on the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is often hit by earthquakes.
REUTERS
