The decision to declare the emergency response status at a provincial level is aimed at helping the South Halmahera district administration handle the impact of the disaster, Chief of the Protocol, Cooperation and Public Communication Bureau of the North Maluku Provincial Government Muliadi Tutupoho said in Ternate, North Maluku, on Thursday.
The aim of declaring the emergency response status is to back up the district government rather than taking over the tasks of the district government, he said.
Secretary of the North Maluku Provincial Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD) Ali Yau said the emergency response status will allow the district government to take steps to address the impact of the earthquake.
At least six people died following the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that jolted South Halmahera District in North Maluku on Sunday evening, acting Head of Information Data Center and Public Relations of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Agus Wibowo, said.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located st 59 degrees South Latitude and 128.06 degrees East Longitude or 62 kilometers northeast of Labuha, North Maluku.at a depth of 10 kilometers below sea level,
Related news: North Maluku earthquake claims two lives, displaces 1,104 people
Translator: Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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