7 killed, over 8,000 flee homes as quakes, landslides hit Indonesia

Seven people were killed and more than 8,000 others are taking shelters as landslides and quakes struck Mamasa district of Indonesia's West Sulawesi province, a disaster agency official said Saturday.

The seven people were killed during evacuation, Pasamboan Pangloli, head of rehabilitation and reconstruction unit of the disaster management agency in the district, told Xinhua over phone.

The landslides also buried at least 8 houses in the district, he added.

More than 8,000 people have fled their homes and are taking shelters as several moderate quakes with magnitudes from 5.1 to 5.5 struck the district in the past few days, said Pangloli.

West Sulawesi province borders Central Sulawesi province which was devastated by a series of powerful quakes and an ensuing tsunami by the end of September that left over 2,000 people dead.