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Tsunami sweeps away homes on Indonesian island Sulawesi after 7.5 magnitude earthquake

Indonesia's meteorology agency issued an early tsunami warnings for people in Central Sulawesi and West Sulawesi provinces, asking people to evacuate to higher ground.

indonesia, indonesia earthquake, Sulawesi island, Sulawesi island earthquake, indonesia island earthquake, world news, indian express, latest news In this photo released by the Disaster Management Agency, a house sits damaged after the earthquake in Donggala, central Sulawesi, Indonesia. (Disaster Management Agency via AP)

A tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake of 7.5 magnitude struck at least two cities in the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Friday, according to the country’s disaster agency. The tsunami reportedly swept away houses in the cities of Palu and Donggala and several persons are feared missing.

A spokesman for Indonesia’s geophysics agency said a powerful Sulawesi earthquake caused a tsunami, apparently after the agency lifted a tsunami warning.

Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a live TV interview that the tsunami hit Palu, which is the capital of central Sulawesi province, and a smaller city, Donggala.

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“The cut to telecommunications and darkness are hampering efforts to obtain information,” he said. “All national potential will be deployed, and tomorrow morning we will deploy Hercules and helicopters to provide assistance in tsunami-affected areas.”

Indonesian TV showed a smartphone video of a powerful wave hitting the provincial capital, Palu, with people screaming and running in fear. Palu’s airport halted operations for 24 hours due to earthquake damage, according to AirNav, which oversees airline traffic in Indonesia.

In December 2004, a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Sumatra in western Indonesia triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

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Earlier today, the earthquake has destroyed several houses and killed at least one person, according to The Associated Press. An official told the news agency widespread damage was expected and urged people to stay outdoors because of the danger of strong aftershocks.

The US Geological Survey said the strongest quake had a magnitude of 7.5 and was centered at a depth of 6 miles (10 kilometers) about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of the central Sulawesi town of Donggala. It briefly triggered a tsunami warning.

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Video shows tsunami hit Indonesian island of Sulawesi after powerful earthquake

An official with the local disaster agency, Akris, said “many houses have collapsed.” “It happened while we still have difficulties in collecting data from nine villages affected by the first quake,” he told The Associated Press.

“People ran out in panic.” Television footage showed people running into the streets. Woman and children wailed hysterically in a video distributed by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, which also released a photo showing a heavily damaged department store.

indonesia, indonesia earthquake, Sulawesi island, Sulawesi island earthquake, indonesia island earthquake, world news, indian express, latest news A patient is evacuated from a hospital following a strong earthquake in Poso, central Sulawesi, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 28, 2018. (AP Photo)

Purwo Nugroho said communications with the region are disrupted. He said in a statement there is “much damage” in the Donggala area, which is home to about 300,000 people. A swarm of strong aftershocks including one of magnitude 6.7 shook the region.

“People are encouraged to remain vigilant,” Sutopo said. “It is better not to be in a house or building because the potential for aftershocks can be dangerous. People are encouraged to gather in safe areas. Avoid the slopes of hills.” The airport in Central Sulawesi province’s capital, Palu, halted operations for 24 hours due to damage, according to a notice from AirNav, which oversees airline traffic in Indonesia.

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Donggala was hit earlier Friday by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that based on preliminary information killed one person, injured 10 and damaged dozens of houses.

“All the things in my house were swaying and the quake left a small crack on my wall,” Donggala resident Mohammad Fikri said by telephone.
Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

With AP inputs

First uploaded on: 28-09-2018 at 16:15 IST
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