A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on September 28, prompting a Tsunami alert hours after an earthquake with magnitude 6.1 damage many houses in the same area.
At least one person was killed and 10 others were injured during the first tremor, authorities said.
“The (second) quake was felt very strongly, we expect more damage and more victims,” Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.
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.
Indonesia’s meteorology agency initially issued an early tsunami warning for people in Central Sulawesi and West Sulawesi provinces, but warning was lifted within an hour.
Nugroho reportedly said, “We advise people to remain in safe areas, stay away from damaged buildings.”
“The evacuation is still being carried out,” Nugroho added.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
