“We have evacuated all guests from the hotel, including several guests who remained in their rooms,” said Effendi Natali, a general manager of a four-star hotel in Palu.
“They all panicked, which is a natural reaction during an earthquake, but everyone is safe,” Natali said, adding that the hotel sustained only minor damage.
The initial quake was centred 43km east-southeast of Palu, and the US Geological Survey said it was about 10km deep. Several aftershocks followed, the strongest being of 5.2 magnitude.
People also moved away from coastal areas as a precaution if the quake set off a tsunami. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami but warned aftershocks could continue.
“The earthquake shaking was extremely strong,” Palu resident Muhtar Ahmad said. “We are still traumatised by the previous earthquake, so we chose to remain outside because we are afraid that aftershocks may continue.”
Indonesia is crossed by several seismic faults, and earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.
Many Sulawesi residents are haunted by the magnitude-7.5 earthquake that devastated Palu in 2018, setting off a 3m high tsunami and a phenomenon called liquefaction in which soil collapses into itself. More than 4,000 people were killed, including many who were buried when whole neighbourhoods were swallowed in the falling ground.
In January 2021, a magnitude-6.2 earthquake near the city of Mamuju on Sulawesi island left at least 100 people dead, with thousands sleeping outdoors for days out of fear of aftershocks.