Relief workers doubled down on efforts Saturday to find survivors among the rubble of collapsed buildings in the powerful earthquake that struck the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia Friday, leaving dozens dead and hundreds injured.

At least 45 people died in the 6.2-magnitude earthquake at dawn Friday, terrorizing people in western Sulawesi Island, which also experienced a major earthquake in 2018.

Dozens of the dead were pulled from the rubble of buildings that collapsed in Mamuju, the capital of West Sulawesi, while other victims were found in the south of this region as well.

"The latest toll indicates that 45 people were killed," said Arianto, a relief official in Mamuju.

The previous toll indicated that 42 people were killed Friday evening.

The authorities did not disclose the number of people who might be stuck under the rubble of the collapsed buildings, including a hospital that housed about ten patients and medical staff.

- 15 thousand homeless -

Significant damage was caused to a hotel as well as the headquarters of the region's governor.

About 15,000 residents of the area fled the quake and were staying in temporary shelters. According to the authorities, about 190 injured people are being treated for severe wounds.

Pope Francis expressed his grief over the earthquake and expressed his solidarity with all those affected for what was stated in a statement to the Vatican.

Video footage in the area on Friday showed residents fleeing on motorcycles and in cars, passing collapsed or destroyed buildings.

However, landslides that followed the earthquake cut off access to a major road in the state.

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency warned of new tremors and asked residents to avoid the seashore for fear of a tsunami.

The Indonesian Red Cross has dispatched medical aid and teams to help rescue workers.

The non-governmental organization Save the Children has asked for special attention to children.

"Although we do not know the magnitude of the disaster, we do know that children are often the most vulnerable group after any disaster," she said. "It is imperative that priority be given to children who witnessed the death of their relatives or were separated from their families," she added.

According to the American Institute of Geophysics, the 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Friday at 2:18 pm local time (Thursday 18.18 GMT). The epicenter was located 36 km south of Mamuju at a depth of 18 km, according to the same source.

This archipelago in Southeast Asia is exposed to repeated seismic and volcanic activity due to its location above the "Ring of Fire" in the Pacific Ocean, where tectonic plates collide.

In September 2018, the Palu region of the island of Sulawesi was hit by a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5, followed by a devastating tsunami, leaving more than 4,300 people dead or missing and 170,000 people homeless.

Another devastating earthquake, with a magnitude of 9.1, struck off the coast of Sumatra in 2004, causing tsunamis that killed 220,000 people, including about 170,000 in Indonesia.