Central Sulawesi Governor Urges Calm After M 6.7 Earthquake

Central Sulawesi Governor Anwar Hafid has appealed to the public to remain calm and not panic after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook Parigi Moutong Regency on Tuesday (16/6). The appeal was conveyed by Anwar through a video uploaded to his personal Instagram account. He said aftershocks are still occurring, so the public is asked to remain alert but not be provoked into panic. “To all the people of Central Sulawesi, regarding the earthquake that just occurred and is still being followed by aftershocks, I urge you to stay calm and not panic,” Anwar said. Anwar revealed that he is currently still in Jakarta carrying out government duties. Nevertheless, he continues to monitor the situation and coordinate with emergency response teams and regional heads in the affected areas. “I continue to monitor developments and coordinate with the rapid emergency response team in the region, including with the regional heads,” he said. He confirmed that he will immediately return to Central Sulawesi and directly inspect the affected locations. “God willing, tonight I will return to Central Sulawesi and directly inspect the conditions at the affected locations. I invite all residents to remain vigilant, follow official information from the government, and not be easily influenced by unverified information,” he said. Anwar also instructed several regional heads, particularly the Mayor of Palu, the Regent of Donggala, the Regent of Parigi Moutong, and the Regent of Poso, to immediately take emergency response measures for affected residents. According to him, the current main priorities are handling victims, providing temporary evacuation shelters, and meeting the basic needs of the community. “If there are injured victims and so on, that must be handled first. Then set up command posts as temporary shelters and immediately establish public kitchens so that people can feel calmer,” Anwar said.