Strong earthquake in Indonesia has killed 78 people and injured more than 800. Heavy rain hinders search and rescue work

　　China News Service, January 18, reported that a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred in the West Sulawesi province of Indonesia in the early morning of the 15th, causing hundreds of casualties.

As rescuers found more victims from the rubble, the death toll rose to 78.

On the other hand, heavy rain hindered the advancement of search and rescue work.

In the early morning of the 15th local time, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Sulawesi, Indonesia.

The picture shows rescuers searching for survivors in a collapsed building in Mamuju.

　　According to reports, Indonesian rescuers found the remains of more victims from the rubble of houses and buildings that collapsed in the earthquake on the 17th, and the death toll increased to 78.

　　Raditya Jati, a spokesperson for the National Disaster Relief Agency, said that more than 800 people were injured in the earthquake, more than half of which are still receiving treatment for serious injuries.

Data from the disaster agency showed that nearly 27,850 people were moved to shelters.

　　Jati said that more heavy equipment arrived in the worst-hit cities Mamuju and Majinne areas.

　　At present, the power supply and telephone communication in the earthquake area have begun to improve.

　　According to reports, the West Sulawesi Provincial Government declared a state of emergency after the earthquake.

Donny Monaldo, director of the Disaster Management Bureau, said that the state of emergency may be lifted in the near one to two weeks.

　　The Indonesian President expressed condolences to the families of the victims after the earthquake and ordered the local government to actively provide relief.

The Disaster Management Bureau provided US$284,000 in assistance to the disaster-stricken areas, and delivered relief supplies such as tents and masks to the local government.

　　However, the heavy rain brought by the rainy season hindered search and rescue operations.

Search and rescue personnel said that the rain brought great risks. If the rain is too heavy, damaged buildings may collapse, and aftershocks may also move buildings.

　　Indonesia is located in the Pacific Rim seismic belt, where thousands of large and small earthquakes occur every year.

In September 2018, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred in Donggara County, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The earthquake and the tsunami caused more than 2,000 deaths.