U.N. agencies assess Indonesian quakes

Published: Jan. 5, 2009 at 5:53 PM
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MANOKWARI, Indonesia, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- A U.N. team is assessing the damage in Indonesia's earthquake-ravaged West Papua province where five people died and thousands have been displaced.

In addition to the fatalities, the weekend quakes injured hundreds of people, damaged more than 800 houses and forced about 14,000 people out of their homes, the United Nations said in a statement from its New York headquarters.

The Indonesian National Meteorological Geophysical and Climatology Agency said the first temblor hit at 4:43 a.m. local time and measured 7.2 on the Richter scale. A second earthquake measuring 7.6 hit at 7:33 a.m. local time, followed by more than a dozen aftershocks.

The Indonesian government has transported relief supplies to the affected areas, the statement said.

The U.N. team has representatives from the U.N. Development Program, the U.N. Children's Fund and the International Labor Organization.


© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.



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