18 injured in Palu quake

18 injured in Palu quake

JAKARTA (JP): An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale hit Palu, Central Sulawesi, at dawn yesterday, injuring at least 18 people.

J.R. Pua, an officer at the Palu command post which accommodates reports on developments related to the earthquake, told The Jakarta Post that 78 houses and four government offices were damaged.

No casualties have been reported.

Antara news agency put the number of damaged buildings at 102, all in Sausu, Suli and Balinggi villages in the Donggala regency.

"The weather is clear and the situation has gone back to normal," Pua said, adding that two smaller follow up tremors were felt after the first one that hit at five o'clock.

Government officials have visited the site of the earthquake, and rescue workers are there now.

"We have notified police headquarters in Jakarta and sent them a complete report," he said.

Antara reported earlier that the epicenter of the earthquake was recorded in Tomini Bay, 30 kilometers north of Poso, at a depth of 44.3 kilometers. (pwn)