Aftershocks shake Papuan province

[senorpepr]

A series of aftershocks have rocked a town in Indonesia's Papua province, one day after a powerful earthquake killed 17 people and injured more than 180, officials said.

Terrified residents in the coastal town of Nabire stayed outside their homes amid heavy rain, seeking shelter under trees and tents, Police Commissioner Wempi Batlayeri said.

"There have been aftershocks, even as I speak now. It happens every few minutes. People are traumatized and everyday activities have ground to a halt," he told AFP from the town which was still recovering from a deadly quake in February.

A meteorology official in the provincial capital Jayapura said today's aftershocks measured between three and four on the Richter scale.

There were no reports of additional casualties following the shocks.
Friday's earthquake and subsequent aftershocks killed at least 17 people and injured 183, 33 of them seriously, police said.

The disaster also damaged Nabire's sea port and airport, where only light aircraft can land.
Commissioner Batlayeri said rescuers were still searching for three people believed buried under rubble but work was hampered by rain and incessant tremors.

Papua governor Jaap Solossa and regional military commander Nurdin Zainal flew to Nabire today and met some victims of the quake.

His entourage also included a medical team carrying 120 kilograms of medicine.
Friday's main quake had a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale, meteorology officials said.
Some 150 buildings were flattened and another 178 set ablaze.
The tremor had its epicenter 17 kilometers south of Nabire and 33km underground.
In February strong earthquakes jolted Nabire, which is 580km west of Jayapura, for three days and killed 37 people.
Six hundred others were injured.
Papua, Indonesia's eastern most province, is largely mountainous and jungle-clad with few roads, complicating relief efforts.

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 18,000 islands, lies at the collision point of three tectonic plates.
Pressure between the massive segments of the earth's crust causes frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Two weeks ago a succession of powerful earthquakes struck Alor island in eastern Indonesia, killing 26 people.

[Wnghs2007]

So sad to hear about all those deaths