Second big quake in two days strikes Indonesia

The US Geological Survey said the latest quake's epicentre was near the town of Nabire, in remote Papua province, according to survey spokesman Butch Kinerney. It was of greater magnitude than the 6.9 earthquake that struck nearby early on Friday, causing widespread damage.

Saturday's tremor, which Indonesia's own earthquake centre said was 6.2 on the Richter scale, triggered panic in Nabire, where many residents had refused to return to their homes fearing aftershocks.

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Most of the deaths in Friday's quake, which occurred in the early hours in the morning, were from houses and buildings collapsing in the town, a regional centre of 26,000 people.

The USGS's Kinerney, speaking in the United States, said: "there could be significant damage and casualties from this earthquake as well," referring to Saturday's tremor.

But Nabire district police chief Mohamad Son Ani told reporters on the scene: "There was no fresh damage."

Another police officer, Miftah, said the death toll from the first quake, put at 25 earlier in the day, had reached 27.

Son Ani said the total number of injured was 200.

Officials fear it could be days before the extent of damage and death in the countryside and smaller villages is known. The area is remote and Friday's quake knocked out most of the area's electricity and communications.

Saturday's quake struck at 11:42 a.m. Papua time. Before it hit, Nabire's city centre had started to return to normal, with some shops open for business.

Residents said they were likely to sleep outside their houses for a second night.

"I could not sleep last night. We all refused to go inside our houses until this morning. The situation is still tense," Marquisa, a mother of four, told Reuters as she stood outside her home.

"We brought everything that we could but we do not know for how long we have to stay like this," another resident said.