M 6.7 Earthquake Shakes Palu and Surroundings, BMKG Reveals Epicentre on Land

A tectonic earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 shook the Palu region in Central Sulawesi on Tuesday, 16 June 2026. The strong tremor, which occurred late in the morning, immediately drew public attention after being felt in several areas surrounding the epicentre. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) confirmed the earthquake occurred at 10.27 WIB and originated from tectonic activity centred on land. Despite its considerable magnitude, BMKG’s initial analysis confirmed the earthquake had no potential to trigger a tsunami. Based on official BMKG data, the earthquake’s epicentre was located at coordinates 1.13 South Latitude and 120.23 East Longitude. This location is approximately 42 kilometres southeast of Palu City, Central Sulawesi. BMKG explained the earthquake was classified as a shallow quake because its hypocentre depth was only 10 kilometres below the earth’s surface. This condition meant the tremor could be felt quite strongly by communities in the affected area. ‘The earthquake is categorised as shallow with a hypocentre depth reaching 10 kilometres,’ stated BMKG. Shallow seismic activity generally produces shaking that is felt more strongly on the surface compared to deeper earthquakes. Amid public concern recalling past major disasters in Central Sulawesi, BMKG stressed that this earthquake had no potential to cause a tsunami. This conclusion was reached after mathematical modelling based on the epicentre location, earthquake depth, and the detected characteristics of the earthquake source. ‘The results of mathematical modelling show this seismic activity has no potential to trigger a tsunami,’ BMKG clarified. This information was important news for coastal communities, who are usually the most vigilant group whenever a large earthquake occurs in the Central Sulawesi region. Nevertheless, the public was still urged to follow official information from BMKG and related agencies to avoid the spread of unaccountable information. Not long after the main earthquake occurred, seismic activity was again detected in a nearby area. An aftershock was recorded three minutes after the main tremor.