Kupang (ANTARA) – A 73-year-old resident of Southwest Sumba District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), died following a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck the region on Sunday, according to local police.
“One person was reported dead in North Kodi. The victim was an elderly resident who died from shock when the earthquake struck,” North Kodi Police Chief Bernadus Bili Kandi told ANTARA when contacted from Kupang, NTT, on Sunday afternoon.
He said the victim was startled by the sight of family members rushing out of the house as the earthquake struck. The elderly resident managed to join them outside but later became paralyzed, lost consciousness, and was pronounced dead.
The victim’s body was immediately taken home and laid in repose after the earthquake, he added.
Regarding the extent of the quake’s impact, Kandi said numerous homes and at least one school had sustained heavy damage.
“We cannot yet provide definitive data on the damage,” he said, noting that police personnel were still working with the local disaster mitigation agency to assess the impact.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) earlier confirmed that a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Southwest Sumba at around 7 a.m. local time.
The earthquake’s epicenter was located at sea about 14 kilometers southwest of Kodi at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to Berton Panjaitan, acting head of BNPB’s Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center.
“The earthquake reportedly has no potential for a tsunami,” he said.
He added that the agency’s preliminary assessment showed strong shaking lasting about one minute in Southwest Sumba, West Sumba, and West Manggarai districts.
The situation remained calm despite tremors being felt by some residents, and no panic was reported, Panjaitan said.
He urged residents to remain calm, rely only on information from official sources, and avoid damaged buildings and coastal areas in anticipation of possible aftershocks.
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Translator: K. Kaha, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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