Tsunami Feared After Major Quake Reportedly Kills At Least 26 and Injures Over 600

Indonesia is located in a seismically active zone known as the Ring of Fire and regularly suffers from powerful earthquakes. Earlier this week, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake had hit the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya.

At least 26 people died and more than 600 were injured as a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck near the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday, media reported on Friday citing rescue services. The epicentre was 36 kilometres south of the West Sulawesi province's capital of Mamuju. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake depth was 18 kilometres.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that rescuers kept searching for people trapped under the rubble of buildings that collapsed in the earthquake. The death toll previously stood at seven.

The chief of Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics agency (BMKG), Dwikorita Karnawati, said that at least 26 aftershocks had been registered following the quake. Karnawati added that the country could still be hit by strong aftershocks that could cause a tsunami.

AFP, citing a rescue agency, reported that the quake had destroyed a hospital in Mamuju, leaving patients and medical personnel trapped inside.

"The hospital has been destroyed, it collapsed. Patients and hospital staff are trapped under the rubble and we are in the process of evacuating them,” a rescue officer told the agency.

According to an agency statement, thousands of Mamuju residents left their homes for safety. Reports say that a city hotel and the governor's office were severely damaged. According to BNPB, locals felt the quake for 5 to 7 seconds.

Gempa kuat dengan magnitudo 6,2 kembali dirasakan warga Majene di Provinsi Sulawesi Barat pada Jumat dini hari (15/1). Gempa sebelumnya terjadi pada Kamis (14/1) yang juga dirasakan kuat di beberapa kabupaten. Selengkapnya: https://t.co/2ctk60sepu#InfoBencanaBNPB pic.twitter.com/GVLf4WYBXJ

— BNPB Indonesia (@BNPB_Indonesia) January 15, 2021

#Gempa Mag:6.2, 15-Jan-21 01:28:17 WIB, Lok:2.98 LS, 118.94 BT (Pusat gempa berada di darat 6 km TimurLaut Majene), Kedlmn:10 Km Dirasakan (MMI) IV-V Majene, III Palu, II Makasar #BMKG pic.twitter.com/xdXvC6dYhZ

— BMKG (@infoBMKG) January 14, 2021

Residents are tweeting photos and videos of the earthquake.

#Indonesia 🇮🇩

Impresionante foto muestra el antes y después de la oficina del gobernador de #Sulawesi, que quedó completamente destruída tras el terremoto que golpeó durante la madrugada de este viernes.

Crédito 📸: Rizal M pic.twitter.com/vtMv0nKJEr

— Carlos Juan Semidey (@QuakeChaser35) January 15, 2021

Kondisi pagi ini di Tx Gunung Pati Sulawesi Barat pasca gempa dengan kekuatan 6,2SR dinihari tadi.

( photo kiriman petugas satuan transmisi TVRI Sta.Gunung Pati )@TVRINasional @BNPB_Indonesia @infoBMKG pic.twitter.com/pNSJZRrXXK

— 🏴#AnakTransmigran (@dadang_adp) January 15, 2021

On Thursday, the same area was hit by a 5.9 magnitude quake, resulting in several damaged buildings.

https://sputniknews.com/asia/202101151081771718-at-least-3-dead-24-injured-hundreds-evacuated-after-massive-earthquake-hits-indonesia-reports-say/

Secret Service refutes WaPo story claiming that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner denied agents restroom access in their home

The Washington Post piece received a lot of attention

The Washington Post reported Thursday that U.S. Secret Service agents assigned to protect Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have been forced to go to great lengths to use the bathroom because the couple forbids their protectors from using the facilities in their home.

But a spokesperson for the Secret Service says The Post's claims were not true.

What are the details?

The Post made waves with a story alleging that Kushner and Trump told agents they were not allowed to use any of the six restrooms in their Washington, D.C., home, causing the guardians major inconveniences whenever nature called.

"After resorting to a porta-potty, as well as bathrooms at the nearby home of former president Barack Obama and the not-so-nearby residence of Vice President Pence, the agents finally found a toilet to call their own," the newspaper reported, adding, "But it came at a cost to U.S. taxpayers. Since September 2017, the federal government has been spending $3,000 a month — more than $100,000 to date — to rent a basement studio, with a bathroom, from a neighbor of the Kushner family."

According to The Post—which published pictures and details of the Kushner-Trump residence—"a spokeswoman for the Secret Service initially declined to comment, writing in an email that the agency 'does not discuss the means, methods or resources utilized to carry out our protective mission.'"

Yet, after the allegations went trending on Twitter and spurred on additional headlines, the agency spokesperson corrected the record.

The Post reported:

But on Thursday evening, eight hours after this story appeared online, she sent a second email with a new statement, saying that the Secret Service tries to have minimal impact on households it protects. "In accordance with this practice, Secret Service personnel do not request access to the facilities at private residences," she wrote. "Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have not denied Secret Service personnel access to their home to include use of the restroom."

The White House also denied the claim, with spokesman Judd Deere telling the outlet:

"When discussions regarding protecting their home were initially had in 2017, Ivanka and Jared made clear that their home would always be open to the incredible men and women on their detail. It was only after a decision by the [Secret Service] was made that their detail sought other accommodations,. The Kushners have a tremendous amount of respect for the servicemen and women on their detail and for the United States Secret Service as a whole. Their home will always be open to them and they have immense gratitude for their service over the last four years."

After the Secret Service spokeswoman issued her statement to The Post refuting the claims, an assistant to President Donald Trump tweeted, "The @washingtonpost story about Jared and Ivanka today was a lie. The story never made sense, and was simply not true. Now the Secret Service has even denied the story."

https://www.theblaze.com/news/secret-service-refutes-story-criticizing-jared-kushner-and-ivanka-trump