A 6.2-magnitude earthquake on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island killed at least seven people, injured hundreds and damaged many buildings on Friday, the country’s disaster mitigation agency said, as panicked residents fled to safer areas.
The epicenter of the quake was six kilometers (3.73 miles) northeast of Majene city at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Initial information from the country’s disaster mitigation agency showed that four people had died and 637 others were injured in Majene, while there were three more fatalities and two dozen injured in the neighboring area of Mamuju.
Thousands had fled their homes to seek safety when the quake hit just after 1 am local time on Friday morning, damaging at least 60 homes, the agency said.
The quake was felt strongly for about seven seconds but did not trigger a tsunami warning.
Videos on social media showed residents fleeing to higher ground on motorcycles, and a child trapped under the rubble as people tried to remove debris with their bare hands.
Some buildings were badly damaged, including two hotels, the office of the governor of West Sulawesi and a mall, Sudirman Samual, a journalist based in Mamuju, north of the epicentre, told Reuters.
At least one route into Mamuju had been cut off, he said, due to damage to a bridge.
Hours earlier on Thursday, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck in the same district damaging several houses.
Indonesia’s disaster agency said a series of quakes in the past 24 hours had caused at least three landslides, and the electricity supply had been cut.
Straddling the so-called Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, Indonesia, a nation of high tectonic activity, is regularly hit by earthquakes.
In 2018, a devastating 6.2-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami struck the city of Palu, in Sulawesi, killing thousands of people.
Latest Stories
-
Paris Olympic hopes hang in the balance as Ghana’s 4×100 relay team drops baton at World Relays
2 hours -
Western Regional House of Chiefs commends Bawumia for his humility and respect for traditional authorities
3 hours -
#JustTurned18: First-time voters critical to deciding 2024 presidential election
4 hours -
Video: EC lied that the cost per voter in 2020 was $7.7; it was $12.5 – Bright Simons
5 hours -
Former IGP passes on
5 hours -
Ejisu by-election: Kwadaso MP gave money to EC officials out of goodwill – Ahiagbah
5 hours -
Millennium City: Land owner breaks silence on fatal shooting of soldier
5 hours -
Photos of 2024 Aboakyer Festival
6 hours -
#JustTurned18: I now have an opportunity to use my thumb to bring someone into power – Excited prospective voters
6 hours -
OSP acted as a whistleblower transferring Cecilia Dapaah’s case to EOCO – Sammy Darko
6 hours -
IMF calls for tariff adjustment for energy sector cost recovery
6 hours -
Samson’s Take: Journalists, block the pretentious idiots
8 hours -
Real Madrid crowned LaLiga champions after Barcelona’s defeat at Girona
8 hours -
Daniel Otting Awuah elected SRC President of Ghana School of Law
9 hours -
Lawrence Ati-Zigi signs St. Gallen contract extension
9 hours