6.7 magnitude quake sparks panic in Indonesia
A 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook part of central Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on 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.
Images from the area showed heavily damaged structures with partially collapsed roofs, shattered walls and debris scattered across the streets. The National Disaster Management Agency said information on the damage, possible casualties and displaced people was still being gathered.
“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 centred 43 kilometres east-southeast of Palu, and the US Geological Survey said it was about 10 kilometres deep. Several aftershocks followed, the strongest being of 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.
1 killed, 4 injured as quake hits China
Beijing: One person was killed and four others injured on Tuesday after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake jolted Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, with the epicentre at 37.80 degrees north latitude and 95.56 degrees east longitude, said a report issued by the China Earthquake Networks Centre. The Qinghai provincial seismological bureau dispatched an on-site work team to the quake-hit area to assist local authorities with emergency response.
