A 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook part of central Indonesia’s Sulawesi island Tuesday, causing scattered damage and rattling residents of a city devastated by a quake and tsunami eight years ago.
The strong shaking sent people fleeing into open areas in and around Palu, a city of about 400,000 people and the capital of Central Sulawesi province. Several hospitals evacuated patients, some with IV drips, outdoors as a safety measure, The Associated Press reported.
Images from the area showed heavily damaged structures with partially collapsed roofs, shattered walls and debris scattered across the streets. No information on casualties was immediately available.
“We have evacuated all guests from the hotel, including several guests who remained in their rooms,” said Effendi Natali, a general manager of a four-star hotel in Palu.
“They all panicked, which is a natural reaction during an earthquake, but everyone is safe,” Natali said, adding that the hotel sustained only minor damage.
The initial quake was centered 43 kilometers (27 miles) east-southeast of Palu, and the US Geological Survey said it was about 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep. Several aftershocks followed, the strongest being 5.2 magnitude.
People also moved away from coastal areas as a precaution if the quake set off a tsunami. Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami but warned aftershocks could continue.
“The earthquake shaking was extremely strong,” Palu resident Muhtar Ahmad said. “We are still traumatized by the previous earthquake, so we chose to remain outside because we are afraid that aftershocks may continue.”
Indonesia is crossed by several seismic faults, and earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.
