At least one person was killed and dozens more injured after a powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on Tuesday, according to the country’s disaster mitigation agency.
The earthquake hit on Tuesday morning, with Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reporting that the epicentre was located about 42 kilometres southeast of Palu at a depth of 10 kilometres.
Authorities said one person was killed in the Sigi region, while 38 others suffered injuries as a result of the quake.
The disaster also caused significant damage to infrastructure across Central Sulawesi Province.
According to the disaster agency, roads connecting three districts were damaged, disrupting transportation in the affected areas.
Several public facilities were also impacted, including places of worship, bridges and government offices.
In addition, at least 67 homes sustained damage during the tremor.
Despite its strength, the earthquake did not trigger a tsunami warning.
Indonesia is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world due to its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a highly active seismic zone stretching from South America to the Russian Far East.
The latest quake has revived memories of the devastating 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck Palu and surrounding areas in 2018, triggering a tsunami with waves reaching up to six metres and claiming thousands of lives in one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history.
Authorities are continuing to assess the full extent of the damage while monitoring the possibility of aftershocks.
