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
-
Import substitution strategies in the 24-Hour Economy: A catalyst for Ghana’s practical economic growth
4 minutes -
Chamber of Aquaculture urges President Mahama to nominate a Minister with agribusiness expertise
15 minutes -
Energy Minister-designate sets 6-months for ECG private sector involvement framework
17 minutes -
Mahama should scrap deputy ministerial position for tourism
20 minutes -
Global economy remains resilient, to grow by 3.2% in 2025 – OECD
38 minutes -
I’ll focus on the development of the real sector – Dr Ato Forson
40 minutes -
Energy sector debt has ballooned to $3bn – John Jinapor
43 minutes -
Businesses to see tax reliefs as Ato Forson promises VAT reforms
45 minutes -
PUWU reaffirms opposition to ECG privatisation
50 minutes -
Bond market: Secondary trade activity falls to GH¢403m
55 minutes -
NHIA commends Mahama for promising to uncap NHIS levy
1 hour -
TECNO named among 2024-2025 Top 10 Smartphone Brands, wins Dual Product Innovation Awards at CES 2025
1 hour -
Star Assurance kick-starts 40th anniversary with ’40 Reasons to Smile’ launch
1 hour -
Private sector participation crucial in power distribution – Jinapor
1 hour -
Disclaimer: Gwira Traditional Council rejects purported coronation of new Paramount Chief
1 hour