Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes near Palu, Indonesia

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province, with strong shaking reported in Palu, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and preliminary reports.

The earthquake struck at 11:26 local time on Tuesday and was centered 46 kilometers (29 miles) east-southeast of Palu, a city on the island of Sulawesi, according to the USGS. It struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

The USGS estimated that more than 170,000 people may have experienced very strong to severe shaking, while more than 600,000 others may have felt strong shaking, including in Palu. More than 4 million people may have felt light to moderate shaking.

Indonesia’s meteorological agency, BMKG, said no tsunami is expected.

Epicenter of the earthquake near Palu, Indonesia (Credit: USGS)

Social media users in Palu reported strong shaking during the earthquake. One video shared online showed cracked walls inside a home, but the extent of damage in Palu and nearby communities was not immediately clear.

Palu was devastated in 2018 when a magnitude 7.5 earthquake triggered a tsunami and widespread soil liquefaction, killing more than 4,000 people in the region.