Approximately 20 people died in an earthquake of 6.5 magnitude in the Maluku province, eastern Indonesia. The strong earthquake occurred around 8:46 A.M., (Indonesian local time) on the 26th of September.
According to officials, the earthquake was strong in Ambon, the capital of Maluku, which has a population of approximately 300,000 people. However, the officials said there is no risk of a tsunami due to the earthquake.
The officials reported 20 deaths, whereas more than 100 are reportedly injured and undergoing treatment. The officials also stated more than 2,000 people were displaced from their homes, while many are still feared to be trapped under collapsed buildings and houses.
This is not the first time Indonesia witnessed a strong earthquake or natural disaster.
In 2004, a tsunami, which took place after an earthquake in Sumatra, damaged Banda Aceh, a city in Indonesia and killed more than 1,20,000 people in Indonesia.
In 2018, an earthquake of 6.0 magnitude and a tsunami in Sulawesi took the lives of approximately 4,300. In another such incident in 2018, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed approximately 550 people in Lombok.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency is continuing the rescue operation.
Stay tuned for further updates.
