Quakes jolt Palu, Donggala, Bengkulu

PALU, Central Sulawesi: An earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter Scale hit cities of Palu and Donggala in Central Sulawesi in the early hours of Friday morning, but no casualties were reported.

The earthquake in Palu and Donggala occurred around 5 a.m. (local time), Antara reported.

Terrified residents ran outside as houses began to shake due to the quake.

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter Scale also jolted Bengkulu city of Bengkulu province at 1:54 a.m.(local time) on the same day.

"Aftershocks were felt in Bengkulu at 8:33 a.m. and the epicenter is believed to be in the Indonesian sea, about 298 kilometers southwest of Bengkulu," chief of Meteorological and Geophysics Agency in Kepahiang area of Bengkulu. Paimin said as quoted by the news agency on Friday.

The earthquake was the fifth in Bengkulu in the past six days, he said.

"People are getting worried, but so far only minor damage has been reported. Bengkulu is prone to earthquakes. Therefore, the people should always be alert," he said.

A strong earthquake rocked Bengkulu on June 4 this year, killing about 94 people and destroying thousands of buildings.

Since then the province has been shaken by at least 4,000 aftershocks with an average of three on the Richter Scale. (edt)