Rescuers assist a survivor pulled out from the ruin of a government building collapsed during an earthquake in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021.Damaged roads and bridges, power blackouts and lack of heavy equipment on Saturday hampered Indonesia’s rescuers after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake left at least 45 dead and hundreds injured on Sulawesi island.
More than 200 people are receiving treatment in the Bhayangkara police hospital and several others in Mamuju alone. Another 630 have been hurt in Majene, said the National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s chief Doni Monardo. The fate of Catherine and other family members was unclear. Yusuf Latif, the rescue agency’s spokesperson, had no information on them.The quake set off landslides in three locations and blocked a main road connecting Mamuju to Majene. Power and phone lines were down in many areas.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Friday that he instructed his Cabinet ministers and disaster and military officials to co-ordinate the response.In a telegram sent by the Vatican on behalf of Pope Francis, the pontiff expressed “heartfelt solidarity with all those affected by this natural disaster.”