HEALTH MINISTRY: FIVE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN BIMA EARTHQUAKE

Bogor, West Java, Nov. 9 (ANTARA) - At least five people were seriously injured in a 6.7-magnitude earthquake which rocked Bima, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), at 3.41 am local time, Monday.

"Up to 10.15 am Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB), the data show that 45 people were injured, including five serious ones, in the 6.7-magnitude earthquake," dr Rustam S Pakaya, head of the crisis control center of the health ministry, said here on Monday.

So far there was no report of fatality, he said.

"There is no fatality, but a medical facility is damaged," he said.

The health ministry has sent a staff member to join a team of the National Disaster Mitigation Body (BNPB) to Bima
Bima Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Catur Abrianto confirmed in Bima that the earthquake injured several local residents.

"Indeed some people are seriously wounded and currently being hospitalized," he said.

According to the Bima police chief, the temblor seriously injured six people and damaged a number of houses.

Suramandi and Ambalawe sub districts were the worst affected by the earthquake.

The quake's epicenter was located 8.24 degrees southern latitude, 118.65 degrees eastern longitude, at a depth of 25 km below sea level, around 39 km northwest of Labuhan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara
(NTT), 139 km northeast of Sumbawa Besar (NTB), 206 km northwest of
Ruteng (NTT) dan 208 km northeast of Taliwang, West Sumbawa (NTB).