6.5-magnitude quake strikes Indonesia, no casualties

Jakarta, July 27 (IANS) A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province, but there were no reports of damages or casualties, local agencies said.The earthquake on Monday evening did not also trigger a tsunami, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.The quake struck at 7.09 p.m. with the epicentre at 59 km northeast of Tojo Una-Una district and the depth at 10 km under the seabed, Xinhua news agency reported.Earlier at 10.52 a.m., a 5.9-magnitude foreshock jolted Central Sulawesi province, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency added. There were no reports of buildings damaged or people wounded in the hardest hit area of Ampana town in Tojo Una-Una district, Datu Pamusu, head of the provincial disaster management agency, told Xinhua."The strong shakes were felt by the people. Those living in the coastal areas panicked and immediately headed to higher grounds in fear of a tsunami. In the city, residents rushed outside of their houses or buildings. However, no buildings were destroyed so far," Pamusu added.The jolts also caused blackout in the areas, Abdul Muhari, head of data and communications unit at the National Disaster Management Agency said in a text message.The tremors were also felt in nearby provinces of North Sulawesi and South Sulawesi, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.
--IANS ksk/