JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The Latest on a powerful earthquake that rocked central Sulawesi in Indonesia (all times local):
8:30 a.m.
Indonesian disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says the magnitude 7.5 Sulawesi earthquake caused a tsunami that hit the provincial capital of Palu and another city, Donggala.
He said in a live TV interview Friday that houses were swept away and families are reported missing.
Sutopo said communications with the area in central Sulawesi are down and the search and rescue effort is being hampered by darkness.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the shallow quake was centered at a depth of 6 miles (10 kilometers).
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8:10 p.m
A spokesman for Indonesia’s geophysics agency says a powerful Sulawesi earthquake caused a tsunami, apparently after the agency lifted a tsunami warning.
Hary Tirto Djatmiko confirmed to The Associated Press that a tsunami occurred. He said the agency was still collecting information and would release it after confirming its accuracy.
Indonesian TV showed a smartphone video of a powerful wave hitting the provincial capital, Palu, with people screaming and running in fear.
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5:40 p.m.
Indonesia’s disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says a tsunami warning for the island of Sulawesi has been lifted.
It was triggered by a shallow magnitude 7.5 quake that jolted central Sulawesi on Friday.
The quake has been followed by strong aftershocks and a local disaster official tells The Associated Press that many houses have collapsed.
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5:15 p.m.
A powerful earthquake has rocked central Sulawesi in Indonesia and authorities have issued a tsunami warning.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.5 quake was centered at a depth of 6 miles (10 kilometers) about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of the town of Donggala.
Earlier Friday, the same area was hit by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake that killed one person, injured 10 and damaged dozens of houses.
