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Death Toll from Indonesia Earthquake Rises to at Least 84


This aerial picture shows the Governor's office building damaged following a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Mamuju, Indonesia on January 17, 2021.
This aerial picture shows the Governor's office building damaged following a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Mamuju, Indonesia on January 17, 2021.

At least 84 people are now confirmed dead from a powerful earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Sulawesi island last week.

Raditya Jati, a spokesman for the government's disaster management agency, says 73 people died in the city of Mamuju and 11 others were killed in the neighboring city of Majene. More than 800 people have been injured in the disaster, including more than 250 seriously hurt.

Rescue teams are desperately searching for scores of residents who may be trapped in the rubble of residential and commercial buildings that collapsed when the 6.2 magnitude quake struck Friday morning south of Mamuju. Their efforts have been complicated by dozens of aftershocks.

Health officials are racing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among the more than 19,000 displaced residents in the affected areas.

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