6.0 Magnitude Earthquake, Aftershocks Hit Indonesia

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Sumba area in Indonesia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), just days after a 7.5 magnitude quake hit hundreds of miles away, killing at least 1,000 people.

The quake hit near Nggongi, Indonesia, which is located hundreds of miles south of Sulawesi, the area that was hit by the 7.5 quake and tsunami on Sept. 28. The city of Palu was hammered by a significant tsunami (as shown in the top video).

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Sumba area in Indonesia on Oct. 2, just days after a 7.5 magnitude quake hit hundreds of miles away, killing at least 1,000 people. (USGS)

The same area around Nggongi experienced two additional aftershocks of magnitude 5.5 or higher on Oct. 2, according to the USGS.

The Jakarta Post reported that several earthquakes hit the area on Oct. 2.

“Today, four earthquakes hit East Sumba. The fourth quake, which according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency [BMKG] had a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale, has toppled a bridge in Wula Waijelu district,” East Sumba Mayor Gideon Mbiliyora told The Jakarta Post. No deaths have been reported, he said, adding that residents were sent into a state of panic.

“I’ve asked the [BPBD East Sumba] and other relevant institutions to assess the damage in the field. So far, we haven’t received any reports of damaged houses or any other substantial losses,” Mbiliyora said.

Indonesia’s earthquake monitor said the quakes would not cause a tsunami.

Meanwhile, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck about 15 miles from Palu late on Oct. 1. It’s not clear if any additional damage was done.

Death Toll Rises

According to the BBC, nearly 1,350 people have been confirmed dead in last week’s earthquake and tsunami.

More than 25 countries have offered assistance after Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo appealed for international help, according to The Associated Press. Little of that, however, has arrived in the quake zone, and increasingly desperate residents grabbed food and fuel from damaged stores and begged for help.

“After day two the food supply started to come in, it only needed to be distributed,” deputy national police chief Ari Dono Sukmanto told the BBC. “We are now re-enforcing the law.”

Some videos shot during the earthquake showed the process of liquefaction, which is when loose and wet soil essentially turns into quicksand, causing significant damage. AP reported that hundreds of victims are likely buried in the quicksand-like mud in Palu’s Petobo neighborhood, where the devastating process occurred.

Liquefaction is similar to walking on a wet, sandy beach.

“If you walk across some wet sand a little back from the water’s edge, it is usually firm walking, even though you might leave footprints,” Adam Switzer, an expert at the Earth Observatory of Singapore, told AP of the process.

He added: “However, if you stand still and wiggle your toes and feet, you will probably sink a little as the sand around your feet becomes soft and unstable. This is similar to what happens during liquefaction.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report