Indonesia lifts tsunami warning triggered by Sulawesi quake

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s geophysics agency said it has ended a tsunami warning that was triggered by a strong earthquake Friday east of Sulawesi island.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake, which was centered at a depth of 17 kilometers (10.5 miles), had a magnitude of 6.8.

The epicenter of the quake was far from the central Sulawesi city of Palu, which was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in September, but it was felt there and and people ran into the streets in panic.

Disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the quake was felt in different areas for 4-6 seconds.

He said some eastern coastal areas and islands had ordered residents to go to higher ground.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire.”

More than 4,400 people were killed in the Palu disaster. /gsg