An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale struck Kulawi district in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province on 3 April.

Search and rescue personnel work at a quake-hit collapsed site in Palu last year (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

According to the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), the quake occurred at 11:31 (local time).  The epicenter of the quake was allocated at 1.47 degrees southern latitude and 120.08 degrees eastern longitude and at a depth of 10 km.

However, no warnings on the possibility of a subsequent tsunami were issued.

Kulawi is among four districts of Palu city, which bore the brunt of a 7.5 magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in September last year. Both disasters left 4,300 people dead and 1,000 others gone missing, injured approximately 11,000 people, and force some 83,000 to evacuate. Their damage amounted to about 900 million USD in value.

Indonesia is one of the most disaster-prone nations on Earth due to its position straddling the Pacific Ring of Fire where tectonic plates collide. Last year was particularly tough for the country, with more than 2,500 disasters ranging from a series of deadly earthquakes on Lombok island to landslides and volcanic eruptions.

(Source: VNA)