A Jesuit Catholic school and church were also hit. Emergency relief services must make a  2-3 journey on foot to reach some affected areas.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) – On the morning of Feb. 7 a powerful earthquake, measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale, rocked Nabire on the western part of the island of New Guinea (former province of Iran Jaya). The toll of victims has now reached 23.

At a Nabire hospital many buildings and bridges were severely damaged. Official figures report 100 wounded. But experts told AsiaNews that at least 600 persons have been seriously injured. 

Muhamad Son Ani, Nabire's chief of police, contacted the government information center in Jakarta, stating: "According to the latest news, 23 people died and the number is still growing. This is only the report from the city, not counting those living outside the city because phone lines have been are cut off."

"Residents are still afraid and worried that there will be more aftershocks, since we can still feel the earth shaking. People are setting up tents outside their houses," he added.

The police chief explained that 62 people wounded were treated and released; while 30 persons were being treated at a military medical center and 60 at a public hospital, which was also seriously damaged.   

The death toll is destined to rise, since many remote villages were also devastated. Many areas are far from the city can only be reached via 2-3 day journey on foot.   

Adhi Luhur high school, recently built and run by Indonesian Jesuits, was seriously damaged.  Christ, Our Friend parish church, run by Fr. Suharyoso –also a Jesuit, was badly damaged and its electrical power was down.

Nabire, about 500 km from Jayapura, has a population of roughly 26,000. The city lays 7 km from the earthquake's epicenter and is situated on the north cost of the island of Papua New Guinea, 2000 km northeast of Jakarta.  

The quake also hit the neighboring cities of Enarotali and Manokwari. Dr. B. Rumbiak, director of the Nabire meteorological station, state that until now there have been 11 aftershocks.  

In this area are the Grasberg copper and gold mines, jointly owned by Rio Tinto and Freeport-McMoRan Inc. A Jakarta spokesman said that they were unaffected by the quake. The mining operation lays about 175 km from the earthquake's epicenter.

Villagers living near Cendrawasih Bay said they witnessed a tsunami, or tidal wave, but this could not be confirmed.

According to the Geophysics Agency of Nabire, the major tremor measured 6.9 on the Richter scale and lasted for 30 seconds and that it was immediately followed by 9 minor tremors. The center of the earthquake was 7 km east of Nabire and 75 km deep.  

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is often prone to earthquakes, as it is located in the Pacific Ocean's so-called "Ring of Fire" - volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin. (MH)

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