One man died and more than ten were injured because of the 6.7-degree earthquake that struck central Indonesia earlier today, according to authorities.
The epicenter of the earthquake, which had little focal depth, was located southeast of Palos, a city of about 400,000 inhabitants, capital of the province of Central Sulawesi.
The earthquake became particularly felt in Palou and neighboring Sigi, but there was no threat to tsunami, according to the national agency of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG).
pic.twitter. com/gilxc3Yx8o— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) June 16, 2026
One man was killed in Sigi, about 20 kilometres from Palu, while more than ten were seriously injured, Abdul Mahari, a spokesman for the disaster management service, said. Dozens of houses in Palu, Sigi and Parigi Mutong have been damaged, as well as bridges, administrative buildings and a hotel, he filled out himself.
A resident of Palos described at the French News Agency (AFP) at the time of the earthquake: "Suddenly, we shook and the whole house seemed to tremble. The roof creaked as if it were going to collapse.".
Intense scenes as a magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes near Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia today.. pic.twitter. Com/Qj57hfXZAY— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) June 16, 2026
"I ran to take all the children and leave. Although we were disoriented for a moment, we managed to get out," completed the 42-year-old mother.
The Indonesian archipelago is located in the Pacific's so-called "Riddle of Fire", where tectonic plates are intersected and seismic and volcanic activity is intense.
In 2018, about 2,200 people had been killed in Palu due to a 7.5-degree earthquake followed by a tsunami.