Indonesia quake kills at least 7 - Official
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-02-06 10:13

A strong earthquake that struck Indonesia's Papua province early on Friday killed at least seven people and damaged houses and roads, an official at the earthquake department said.

A number of people were also injured in the quake, which measured 6.9 on the Richter scale.

"I got information from the district police that there are seven people dead," said Sutiyono.

"I do not know the exact number of injured, as it is growing," he said, adding that there had been several aftershocks.

The injured were being treated in tents as the main hospital in the area was badly damaged, he said.

Sutiyanto said the quake had also damaged some houses and roads in Indonesia's eastern-most province, but added it was too early to know whether it had triggered a tsunami.

The rugged but resource-rich province is 3,000 km (1,900 miles) east of the capital, Jakarta.

The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Earthquake Information Center Web site said the earthquake had measured 6.8 on the Richter scale. It occurred at 4:05 a.m. Jakarta time (2105 GMT Thursday).

Sutiyono placed the epicenter of the quake around seven km (four miles) from eastern Nabire town on Papua's coast, while the USGS Web site said it was 90 km (55 miles) west-northwest of Enarotali.

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