26 dead in Indonesia quake

At least 26 people were reported dead and hundreds more injured after a powerful earthquake rocked northern Indonesia today.

The earthquake, which measured 6.9 on the Richter scale, hit the remote province of Papua at 6.05 am local time (2105 GMT yesterday).

Some of the worst devastation was reported in the town of Nabire, where the local airport, hospital and other buildings were damaged and many people were left homeless. One report put the number of injured at up to 600.

Nabire official Johan Wanaha said: "Eighteen of those seriously injured have been evacuated to Biak because Nabire's hospital is also damaged. Even I and my family have to stay under a tent outside my damaged house. I think no one wants to stay inside because we're all still afraid."

Some villagers in the area reported a tsunami - a tidal wave created by tectonic activity - but this could not be confirmed.

Nabire is on the northern coast of Papua, some 3,200 kilometres (1,988 miles) northeast of Jakarta. The province, formerly known as Irian Jaya, occupies the western half of New Guinea island.

The earthquake, which was followed by a series of smaller aftershocks, also struck the nearby towns of Enarotali and Manokwari.

Musa Horen, a municipal official in Manokwari told Jakarta's El-Shinta radio: "People are staying in tents. They don't dare go home. They're still afraid of more quakes."

The earthquake damaged about 500 houses in the area, but no casualties were reported, he said. Most homes in the area are lightweight structures built from bamboo and thatch.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation, is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire" - volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin.