Magnitude 7 quake off Sulawesi sparks panic; tremor felt in southern Philippines
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The 7.0-magnitude quake struck at a depth of 64km off the coast of Manado city in North Sulawesi.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM USGS
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JAKARTA, Jan 18 (Reuters) – A magnitude 7 earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on Wednesday, prompting panicked residents in some towns nearest to the epicentre to flee buildings and with the tremor felt in the neighbouring Philippines.
Indonesia’s geophysics agency said, however, there was no risk of a tsunami. The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in a bulletin also called off an earlier warning of a tsunami risk.
The geophysics agency said the quake’s epicentre was at a depth of 64km and 141km south-east of the town of Melonguane. At least 10 aftershocks were reported.
“My home was shaking,” Ica, 35, a Melonguane resident said by telephone.
A resident in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, also said by telephone that the quake was felt very strongly for several seconds, and that people were seen running out of buildings before later returning.
North Sulawesi’s police said there have not been any immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The quake was also felt in the Maluku islands, the local disaster agency added.
The Philippines seismology agency also said the quake was felt in parts of the sprawling southern island of Mindanao nearest to Indonesia.
Indonesia rests atop the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, making it one of the most seismically active regions in the world that experience frequent earthquakes.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake
Last week, a magnitude 7.6 quake struck off Indonesia’s Tanimbar islands, prompting panic though only limited damage. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS
