JAKARTA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- A 6.5-magnitude earthquake rocked Central Sulawesi province in the central part of Indonesia on Monday evening, but no damages or casualties were immediately reported, local agencies said.

The tremors did not trigger a tsunami, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.

There were no reports of buildings damaged or people wounded in the hardest hit area of Ampana town in Tojo Una-Una district, said Datu Pamusu, head of the provincial disaster management agency.

"The shakes were strongly felt by the people. Those living in the coastal areas panicked and immediately headed to higher grounds in fear of tsunami. In the city, residents rushed outside of their houses or buildings. However, no buildings were destroyed so far," Pamusu told Xinhua via phone.

The jolts also caused blackout in the areas, Abdul Muhari, head of data and communications unit at the National Disaster Management Agency said in a text message.

The tremors were also felt in nearby provinces of North Sulawesi and South Sulawesi, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. Officials at the disaster management agencies in these two provinces told Xinhua that there were no damages or casualties.

The quake struck at 7:09 p.m. Jakarta time (1209 GMT) with the epicenter at 59 km northeast of Tojo Una-Una district and the depth at 10 km under the seabed, the agency said.

Earlier at 10:52 a.m. Jakarta time (0352 GMT), a 5.9-magnitude foreshock jolted Central Sulawesi province, the agency said. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)