Source: Reuters
A powerful inland and shallow earthquake has hit eastern Indonesia.
The earthquake which occurred late on Saturday night made people panic in parts of Sulawesi and flee to higher ground, disregarding directive from health officials on social distancing to curb the spread of coronavirus.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The US Geological Survey announced that the magnitude 5.8 quake was centred 64 kilometres northwest of Central Sulawesi province’s Pendolo town, at a depth of 10 kilometres just before midnight Saturday.
Indonesia’s national disaster agency stated that the land-based earthquake didn’t have any potential to cause a tsunami.
Nonetheless, many people in the provincial capital of Palu fled to higher ground.
Most residents are haunted by the memory of a devastating 7.5 magnitude earthquake that hit the city two years ago. The incident set off a tsunami as well as a phenomenon called liquefaction in which wet soil collapses due to shaking.
Indonesian authorities disclosed that two residents in the city have tested positive for Covid-19. Residents were therefore instructed to maintain social distancing in order to restrict further spread of coronavirus
“A strong earthquake had jolted Palu, but we were stopped when we ran out of the house for fear of being exposed to coronavirus,” said a resident identified as Ardy on Twitter.
“Living in a disaster-prone area is awry,” he said.
He added that most people who fled in panic disregarded authorities who requested them to return home until the situation returned to normal.
Indonesia, a large archipelago of 260 million people, is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
The country has recorded a total of 102 deaths due to Covid-19.
