Panicked residents flee as ‘extremely strong’ earthquake hits Indonesia’s Sulawesi

The initial quake was centred inland about 43km (30 miles) east-southeast of Palu, and the US Geological Survey said it was about 10km deep.

The strong shaking sent people fleeing into open areas in and around Palu, a city of about 400,000 people and the capital of Central Sulawesi province. Several hospitals evacuated patients, some with IV drips, outdoors as a safety measure.

Four regencies close to the epicentre – with a combined population of 1.3 million – have yet to be fully assessed, but a preliminary report said at least 109 people have been displaced by the powerful earthquake.

At the same time, 32 people were reported injured and rushed to a nearby hospital, including eight with serious injuries in the hardest hit Sigi regency, according to National Disaster Management Agency’s spokesman Abdul Muhari.

He said the earthquake also caused widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure, including 64 houses, four places of worship, four public facilities, two bridges, two government office buildings, a cafe and a hotel. A section of a provincial road linking Palu city and its neighbouring regencies of Sigi and Poso was cut.