An earthquake in Indonesia causes damage to infrastructure

An earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale struck parts of the island of Sulawesi in central Indonesia the day before yesterday, killing at least one person, injuring dozens, and damaging homes and infrastructure. It also sparked panic among residents of a city that had previously been destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami about eight years ago, according to officials.

Officials stated that the epicenter of the initial earthquake was in an inland area about 43 kilometers southeast of the city of Palu, while the US Geological Survey reported that the depth of the epicenter was about 10 kilometers.

The strong earthquake led residents to flee to open areas in and around the city of Palu, which has a population of about 400,000 people and is the capital of Central Sulawesi Province. Several hospitals also evacuated their patients as a precaution.

The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Authority recorded the occurrence of at least 71 aftershocks, which increased the anxiety of residents who still have bad memories of the devastating earthquake and “tsunami” that struck the region in 2018. In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook Palu and its surrounding areas, causing “tsunami” waves that reached a height of six meters. It claimed the lives of thousands, in one of the worst disasters that Indonesia has witnessed in recent years.