REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PALEMBANG -- Six of 17 districts and cities in South Sumatra Province are prone to earthquakes. Those areas are close to the "Ring of Fire", the spokesman of Palembang Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said.

"The vulnerable districts and cities are Pagaralam, Lubuklinggau, Lahat, OKU Selatan, Empat Lawang, and Musirawas," said Nandang, head of the agency's Data and Information Division, here, on Thursday.

Indonesia lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, which is also known as the Ring of Fire, where many tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities. As a result, several parts of the archipelago are prone to earthquakes, as could be observed from the recent deadly earthquakes in Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province, and Palu, the capital city of Central Sulawesi Province.

The most-recent earthquake hit Situbondo in East Java, Nandang said, adding that certain parts of South Sumatra Province are also vulnerable enough to earthquakes that could potentially occur if the tectonic plates keep moving.

Also read: 6.3-magnitude earthquake jolts Situbondo, East Java

In South Sumatra, there is an active volcano called Mount Dempo. At the moment, the status of Mount Dempo in Pagar Alam, Lahat District, remains "normal" but it is necessary for local residents to remain alert to avoid casualties if a disaster occurs, he said.

Meanwhile, the living condition of residents in the disaster zones of the Central Sulawesi capital city of Palu and districts of Donggala and Sigi has gradually improved, as several markets and hospitals have resumed operations, a military spokesman said. The resumption of the local people's daily activities was possible thanks to the participation of various parties in the disaster mitigation and restoration processes, spokesman of 132/Tadulako Military Resort Command Colonel Agus Sasmita said.

In helping secure the people and those involved in humanitarian relief missions, the Indonesian Military and Police deployed 6,522 and 2,028 personnel, respectively. They were assisted by thousands of rescue workers and volunteers in the catastrophe-hit areas.

The security apparatuses worked with rescue workers and volunteers from governmental and non-governmental agencies on the ground to help those in need.

As of Thursday at 01.00 pm local time, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recorded that the death toll from the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that rocked Palu, Donggala, and Sigi on September 28, 2018, had reached 2,073. All the bodies had been buried.

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