A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on Tuesday, triggering intense shaking that lasted more than a minute and was followed by a series of strong aftershocks.
The tremor was felt heavily in Palu, a city of roughly 400,000 residents that serves as the capital of Central Sulawesi province. Damage was reported in scattered locations, and several hospitals moved patients — some still connected to IV drips — outdoors as a precautionary measure. No information on injuries or deaths was immediately released.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake’s epicenter was located 43 kilometers (27 miles) east-southeast of Palu at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles). The most powerful aftershock registered a magnitude of 5.2. Officials determined there was no risk of a tsunami.
Indonesia sits atop multiple seismic fault lines, making earthquakes and volcanic activity a routine part of life across the archipelago.
For many residents of Sulawesi, Tuesday’s quake stirred haunting memories of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that tore through Palu in 2018. That disaster triggered a tsunami with waves reaching 3 meters (10 feet) high and caused a rare geological phenomenon known as liquefaction, where the ground essentially collapses inward on itself. The death toll from that event surpassed 4,000 people, with entire neighborhoods swallowed by the sinking earth.
Sulawesi has also experienced other deadly seismic events in recent years. In January 2021, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake near the city of Mamuju killed at least 100 people, leaving thousands sleeping outside for days out of fear that more aftershocks could follow.
