Strong quake triggers panic in Palu

Strong quake triggers panic in Palu

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu

A strong earthquake jolted Palu and the surrounding areas on
Sunday morning, sparking panic among city residents.

Fearing building collapses and the possibility of a tsunami,
many residents fled their homes for higher ground.

The Palu Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) reported the
earthquake that struck the coastal city at 7:40 a.m. measured 5.7
on the Richter scale. The quake's epicenter was about 30
kilometers underground in Sungku subdistrict, some 60 kilometers
southeast of Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi.

As of 4 p.m., no fatalities or serious injuries had been
reported. Several houses in Sungku subdistrict were reportedly
damaged in the quake, ranging from partial collapses to broken
windows.

The strong quake sent a wave of panic through residents of
Palu. One resident was seen fleeing his home wrapped in a bath
towel, his body still covered with soap.

"The quake was very strong. My television set fell to the
floor and broke," said Usman, a resident of Kotapulu subdistrict,
Donggala regency, some 17 kilometers south of Palu.

Motorists fled from gasoline stations for fear that the
earthquake would trigger a fire. Many holiday goers staying near
the coast left for higher ground.

"Following the quake, we were told by our teacher to leave the
beach," said Aco Firman, 12, an elementary school student who was
playing on the beach along with his schoolmates when the quake
struck.

Suko Prayitno Adhi of the BMG ruled out the possibility of a
tsunami, saying the quake's epicenter was not at sea.

"The epicenter was inland and deep underground, so there will
not be a tsunami," he said.

The morning quake could be felt as far away as troubled Poso
regency, some 200 kilometers east of Palu.

"The quake shook the city a bit, but it did not cause any
panic in the city. Residents stayed at home; they are probably
used to quakes," said Abdul Harris Rengga, the head of the
Information and Communications Office at the Poso regency
administration.

The last large earthquake to jolt Palu was on January 24. The
quake measured 6.2 on the Richter scale and its epicenter was
located in Bora subdistrict, some 16 kilometers southeast of
Palu. The quake prompted mass panic among residents, coming only
a month after the tsunami in Aceh that killed about 129,000
people.

The tsunami was triggered by a monster earthquake measuring
9.3 on the Richter scale.