6.7-magnitude earthquake jolts Indonesia, damages buildings, triggers evacuations

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 16, 2026 12:28 IST

A powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island on Tuesday, shaking buildings, damaging property and prompting hospital evacuations, though authorities said there was no tsunami threat.

According to Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km, with its epicentre located about 42 km southeast of Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi province.

The quake was strongly felt in and around Palu, a city of around 400,000 people, where residents reported shaking that lasted for more than a minute. The tremor was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 5.2 in magnitude.

Authorities reported scattered damage to buildings, although there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. As a precaution, several hospitals evacuated patients, including some receiving intravenous treatment, to open areas outside the facilities.

Indonesia's disaster and geophysics agencies said there was no risk of a tsunami following the earthquake.

The quake revived memories of the devastating 7.5-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck Palu and surrounding areas in 2018. The disaster triggered massive liquefaction, causing entire neighbourhoods to collapse into the ground and leaving more than 4,000 people dead.

Sulawesi has experienced several major earthquakes in recent years. In January 2021, a 6.2-magnitude quake near Mamuju on the island killed at least 100 people and forced thousands of residents to spend days outdoors amid fears of further aftershocks.

Indonesia sits along the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is frequently affected by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to the movement of multiple tectonic plates.

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With agency inputs