M6.7 quake shakes Palu, Samaritan Hospital evacuates patients

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Tuesday at 10.27 WIB, sparking panic among residents and prompting the evacuation of patients at RS Samaritan to open areas. Some patients were taken outside in wheelchairs and on beds, while family members and medical workers gathered in the hospital courtyard and waited for conditions to be safe. BMKG said the epicenter was offshore at coordinates 1.04 south latitude and 120.23 east longitude, about 42 kilometers southeast of Palu, at a depth of 10 kilometers. The shaking was also felt in Sigi, Donggala and Tojo Una-Una. BMKG said the quake had no tsunami potential, but residents chose to remain outside homes and buildings out of concern for aftershocks.