A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has killed at least 46 people in Indonesia

Indonesia – Damage to roads and bridges, blackouts and a lack of equipment hampered the work of rescuers on Saturday after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and left at least 46 dead and hundreds injured.

Operations were focused on about eight sites in the city of Mamuju, which was the hardest hit and where it was believed there were still people trapped after the quake took place on Friday, said Saidar Rahmanjaya, who heads the local search and rescue agency.

Cargo planes carrying food, tents, blankets and other supplies from Jakarta landed Friday night to distribute supplies to temporary shelters. However, thousands of people spent the night outdoors, fearing aftershocks and a possible tsunami.

Raditya Jati, a spokeswoman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said rescuers had recovered the bodies of 37 victims in Mamuju and nine others in Majene district.

At least 415 homes were damaged in Majene and about 15,000 people were moved to shelters, Jati said.

The bodies recovered by the rescuers were sent to a police hospital to be identified by their relatives, said Syamsi Ridwan, a spokeswoman for Western Sulawesi police.

He added that more than 200 people were being treated at Bhayangkara Police Hospital and several more in Mamuju. Another 630 people were injured in Majene.

The quake caused landslides in three places and blocked a main road connecting Mamuju with Majene. Power and telephone lines had fallen in several areas.