Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes central Indonesia

Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes central Indonesia

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A 6.7-magnitude earthquake was recorded Tuesday morning in central Indonesia. (Satellite image: United States Geological Survey)
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake was recorded Tuesday morning in central Indonesia. (Satellite image: United States Geological Survey)

An ​earthquake ​of ‌6.7 magnitude struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island ​on ⁠Tuesday, with the epicentre ‌recorded about 42 kilometres (26.1 ⁠miles) to the southeast of the town ​of Palu at ​a ‌depth of 10 ​km, ⁠Indonesia's geophysics agency BMKG ⁠said.

There was no tsunami ⁠risk, ​BMKG said.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the shallow quake struck at 10.27am local time.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

Palu resident Nurhaidar, who, like many Indonesians, has only one name, was cooking in her kitchen when she felt the quake.

"Suddenly, it was like there was a jolt, and then the whole house seemed to shake. The entire roof was making noise, like it was about to collapse," the 42-year-old told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"I hurried to evacuate with all the kids, and even though we were disoriented and confused for a moment, we managed to get out."

Indonesia, a vast archipelago in Southeast Asia, experiences frequent earthquakes due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire".

The arc of intense seismic activity, where tectonic plates collide, stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

In 2018, a magnitude-7.5 quake and subsequent tsunami in Palu, killed more than 2,200 people.

Last week, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines, killing at least 15 people, collapsing buildings and sparking tsunami warnings across the region.

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