Residents flee as Magnitude 7 earthquake strikes off Sulawesi island in Indonesia

A magnitude 7 earthquake off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia, on Wednesday, prompted terrified citizens in some of the communities closest to the epicentre to abandon their homes.

However, the Indonesian Geophysics Agency stated that there was no risk of a tsunami, and the U.S.-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center canceled an earlier tsunami risk warning in a bulletin.

The geophysics department detected 10 aftershocks and claimed the earthquake’s epicentre was 64 kilometers (39.77 miles) below the surface and 141 kilometers southeast of the town of Melonguane.

Read also:Another earthquake hits Indonesia’s West Java, second in two weeks

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 southern areas of the country and warned of a risk of damage and aftershocks.

Indonesia rests atop the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire”, making it one of the most seismically active regions in the world, experiencing frequent earthquakes.

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