A massive earthquake on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, killed at least seven people on Friday. The nation’s disaster relief agency said hundreds of people were injured.
The epicenter was 6 kilometers northeast of the city of Magene, 300 kilometers from Makassar. Four people were killed in the town of Magni. Three people were killed in the neighboring district of Mamuju.
Thousands of people fled their homes in search of safer areas after the earthquake. The earthquake occurred after midnight local time. Dozens of homes were destroyed. Many hotels and the governor’s office were badly damaged. According to local media, many people are still buried under the rubble.
Some major aftershocks have already been felt. The Seismological Institute fears that if aftershocks persist, there could be a tsunami. No official warning has been issued for this yet.
Before the devastating earthquake, the disaster relief agency observed several lighter tremors. These have caused, among other things, landslides.
Earthquakes are more common in Indonesia. The country is located on a so-called Ring of Fire, where continental plates collide around the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of people were killed in a massive earthquake in Sulawesi in 2018.
Thousands of people tried to flee the area after the earthquake.
Thousands of people tried to flee the area after the earthquake.
Photo: ANP
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