4 dead in quake on northern Indonesian island

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JAKARTA, Indonesia – A powerful weekend earthquake that jolted a northern island has killed four villagers and left a dozen others injured, an Indonesian government official said.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho of Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency said Monday at least four people were killed by falling debris, including a 9-year-old boy. Twelve others were hospitalized with cuts and broken bones.

The magnitude-6.3 quake struck Saturday evening 56 kilometers (35 miles) southeast of Palu city on Sulawesi Island as residents were ending their fast on the final day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The official says the earthquake damaged 165 houses and buildings in Parigi Mountong and Sigi, the closest districts to the epicenter.

Indonesia is part of an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin and prone to earthquakes.