Magnitude 6.7 Earthquake Strikes Palu Area In Central Sulawesi

JAKARTA, June 16 (NNN) -- An earthquake of 6.7 magnitude struck the Palu area of Central Sulawesi on Tuesday morning, causing damage to buildings and infrastructures.

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said the earthquake occurred at 10.27 am local time and was centred about 42 km southeast of Palu.

At the BMKG’s website, the earthquake was classified as a shallow tectonic quake with a depth of 10 km, with no tsunami potential.

BMKG said the earthquake was felt strongly in Palu, Sigi, and Donggala. Lighter tremors were reported in several other parts of Central Sulawesi, including Poso and Parigi Moutong.

An aftershock of 5.2 magnitude was also recorded at 11.16 am local time, centred about 44 km southeast of Palu at a depth of 10 km.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said preliminary reports indicated damage to several buildings in Palu City, Sigi Regency and Parigi Moutong Regency, although details on the number of affected structures and the extent of the damage were still being verified.

BNPB head of Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Centre Abdul Muhari said assessments were also ongoing to determine whether there were any casualties or displaced residents following the earthquake.

He said BMKG had recorded 13 aftershocks of varying magnitudes around the epicentre as of 12.17 pm local time.

The Central Sulawesi Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), together with emergency response and operations teams in Sigi and Parigi Moutong, had conducted rapid assessments to determine the overall impact of the earthquake.

The agency urged residents to remain calm, ignore unverified information, and follow instructions issued by the authorities. Residents were also called to stay alert to possible aftershocks and avoid buildings that show signs of damage until they have been declared safe by the authorities.

-- NNN-BERNAMA