Strong earthquake shakes Palu

Strong earthquake shakes Palu

PALU, Central Sulawesi: A strong earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale shook the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu on Saturday but there were no reports of casualties, officials and police said.

The temblor struck at 10.41 a.m. local time with its epicenter 61 kilometers off the northeast coast of the city, said a member of staff at the local office of the Meteorological and Geophysics Agency (BMG).

The quake originated 117 kilometers below sea level and was mostly felt by residents around the city.

An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale also shook North Maluku last week, killing two and damaging hundreds of houses in Bere-bere district, Morotai Island. --Antara