PM, FM express sorrow over Indonesia quake deaths
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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences with Indonesian President Joko Widodo over loss of lives caused by an earthquake in country’s Java region. “Saddened by tragic loss of precious lives in an earthquake that struck Java region of Indonesia,” he said in a tweet posted on his social media account. “We, in Pakistan offer our heartfelt condolences and most sincere sympathies to President Joko Widodo, bereaved families and brotherly people of Indonesia,” he added. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also expressed his grief and condolences over loss of lives caused by earthquake in Indonesia.
“Tragic news of earthquake and resultant loss of precious lives in Indonesia. Our heartfelt condolences and prayers for our Indonesian brothers and sisters, especially families of victims,” Foreign Minister said in a twitter post. A shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake killed at least 162 people, with hundreds injured and others missing, when it toppled buildings and triggered landslides on Indonesia’s main island of Java on Monday, officials said. Rescuers were trying to reach survivors trapped under rubble amid series of aftershocks as night fell. West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil confirmed deaths from quake, whose epicentre was town of Cianjur about 75 km southeast of capital where some buildings shook and some offices were evacuated. "So many buildings crumbled and shattered," Ridwan told reporters. "There are residents trapped in isolated places so we are under assumption that number of injured and deaths will rise with time."
Indonesia straddles so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on Earth's crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes. National disaster agency (BNPB) said 23 people were likely still trapped under rubble of collapsed buildings.
Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 22 2022
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