1 Killed as Earthquake Strikes Indonesia’s Java

A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)
A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)
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1 Killed as Earthquake Strikes Indonesia’s Java

A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)
A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)

One person was killed on Friday when a strong earthquake struck Indonesia’s island of Java, said the US Geological Survey.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the national disaster management agency, said at least one person had been killed, several homes damaged and a hospital evacuated. He posted photos of people scouring collapsed buildings. There have been unconfirmed reports of more casualties.

He also said there were reports that buildings had collapsed in the city of Tasikmalaya in western Java and in several western Java districts.

"Houses and other buildings are damaged in many areas," he said in a statement.

People ran out of buildings in panic in many areas and Indonesian television showed heavy traffic on roads as people left coastal areas.

The USGS said the epicenter of the 6.5 magnitude quake was located at a depth of 92 km (57 miles), about 52 km southwest of Tasikmalaya.

The disaster agency said the quake activated early tsunami warning systems in the south of Java, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no tsunami had been detected.

Tremors were felt in central and west Java and caused minor damage to some buildings. The quake swayed buildings for several seconds in the capital Jakarta.

Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated island, is home to more than half of its 250 million people.



New Zealand Navy Ship Sinks Off Samoa

A view of a New Zealand Navy vessel on fire, as seen from Tafitoala, Samoa, October 6, 2024, in this picture obtained from social media. Dave Poole/via REUTERS
A view of a New Zealand Navy vessel on fire, as seen from Tafitoala, Samoa, October 6, 2024, in this picture obtained from social media. Dave Poole/via REUTERS
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New Zealand Navy Ship Sinks Off Samoa

A view of a New Zealand Navy vessel on fire, as seen from Tafitoala, Samoa, October 6, 2024, in this picture obtained from social media. Dave Poole/via REUTERS
A view of a New Zealand Navy vessel on fire, as seen from Tafitoala, Samoa, October 6, 2024, in this picture obtained from social media. Dave Poole/via REUTERS

A Royal New Zealand Navy vessel ran aground and sank off Samoa but all 75 crew and passengers on board were safe, the New Zealand Defense Force said in a statement on Sunday.

Manawanui, the navy's specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, ran aground near the southern coast of Upolu on Saturday night as it was conducting a reef survey, Commodore Shane Arndell, the maritime component commander of the New Zealand Defense Force, said in a statement.
Several vessels responded and assisted in rescuing the crew and passengers who had left the ship in lifeboats, Reuters quoted Arndell as saying.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon was also deployed to assist in the rescue.
The cause of the grounding was unknown and would need further investigation, New Zealand Defense Force said.
Video and photos published on local media showed the Manawanui, which cost the New Zealand government NZ$103 million in 2018, listing heavily and with plumes of thick grey smoke rising after it ran aground.
The vessel later capsized and was below the surface by 9 a.m. local time, New Zealand Defence Force said.
The agency said it was "working with authorities to understand the implications and minimise the environmental impacts.”
Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding told a press conference in Auckland that a plane would leave for Samoa on Sunday to bring the rescued crew and passengers back to New Zealand.
He said some of those rescued had suffered minor injuries, including from walking across a reef.
Defense Minister Judith Collins described the grounding as a "really challenging for everybody on board."
"I know that what has happened is going to take quite a bit of time to process," Collins told the press conference.
"I look forward to pinpointing the cause so that we can learn from it and avoid a repeat," she said, adding that an immediate focus was to salvage "what is left" of the vessel.
Rescue operations were coordinated by Samoan emergency services and Australian Defense personnel with the assistance of the New Zealand rescue center, according to a statement from Samoa Police, Prison and Corrections Service posted on Facebook.
Manawanui is used to conduct a range of specialist diving, salvage and survey tasks around New Zealand and across the South West Pacific.
New Zealand's Navy is already working at reduced capacity with three of its nine ships idle due to personnel shortages.