The number of deaths from the earthquake surpassed 70 as the search for survivors continued for the third day at the site of the earthquake in western Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Indonesian Disaster Prevention Agency (BNPB) spokesman Raditia Jati said on the afternoon of the 17th local time, "The number of deaths from the earthquake has increased to at least 73."
He added, "So far, 820 people have been injured and 27,000 people have been displaced."
Immediately after the earthquake, the number of deaths was reported to be three, but the number of victims is increasing day by day as the damage situation is counted.
The cumulative death toll counted by AFP by today (17th) afternoon is about 60.
Earlier, on the 15th, an earthquake of magnitude 6.2 occurred in western Sulawesi.
The earthquake destroyed hundreds of buildings, including hotels, state offices, and hospitals, in Mamuju and Magenee, the cities near the epicenter, and many were laid in rubble.
Rescuers are scouring concrete and rebar piles with heavy machinery and cranes to find additional survivors.
In one collapsed house, 5 out of 8 family members were found dead.
Relief supplies sent from various places are arriving at shelters, but food, blankets, and medicine are still known to be in short supply.
Concerns over aftershocks and tsunamis are also growing.
Director of the Meteorological and Climate and Geological Administration (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati warned that another earthquake could trigger a tsunami.
In fact, the morning before, a magnitude 5.0 aftershock occurred in the area.
Indonesia, which is made up of 17,000 islands, has large earthquakes frequently as the eastern region is in the Pacific Rim's midwifery'Ring of Fire'.
On December 26, 2004, a 9.1 earthquake and tsunami on the coast of Sumatra killed 170,000 Indonesians and 220,000 people from neighboring countries.
On September 28, 2018, more than 4,300 people were killed in the tsunami following the Sulawesi earthquake.
(Photo = AFP, Yonhap News)