Rescuers combed the rubble of buildings that collapsed in Mamuju, Indonesia, in search of survivors of a 6.2-magnitude earthquake, while strong aftershocks shook the region.
So far, 46 dead and more than 820 injured are attributed to the quake, which centered just south of the city of some 110,000 people in West Sulawesi province early Friday.
The quake destroyed a hospital, destroyed a shopping mall, damaged two hotels, regional government offices and the city’s airport. No major damage was attributed to Saturday’s magnitude 5.0 aftershock.
Several smaller and smaller aftershocks also shook the area.
It is unclear how many people are believed to be trapped under leveled buildings, although authorities focused on hotels. At least a dozen patients and staff remained missing after the hospital collapsed.
Rescue supplies are flowing to the island about 900 kilometers northwest of the capital Jakarta, and the Indonesian Navy has reportedly sent a medical boat to the damaged area to help treat hundreds of injured.
Some 15,000 residents have fled to temporary shelters, local authorities said.
Authorities are concerned about another larger aftershock and warned residents to move away from the sea because of the risk of a tsunami.
Riding the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia is regularly affected by earthquakes. In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook Palu, about 250 miles north of Mamuju on the island of Sulawesi, and the subsequent tsunami that killed more than 4,300 people on the island.
With mail cables