Video: Tsunami Hits Indonesia After 7.5 Magnitude Earthquake

Jack Phillips
Updated:

A video shows the moment a tsunami hit an area in Indonesia after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit on Sept. 28.

Daniel Lipson, an ABC Australia reporter, tweeted the video, saying: “Indonesia geophysics agency says Sulawesi quake caused a tsunami. This video is doing the rounds. We believe it is real.”

The clip shows a large wall of water moving quickly before it slams into the shore and buildings on the shore. Screams can be heard as people look down from a tall building.

Asian News International reported that a 6-foot tsunami hit Palu, causing buildings to collapse.
A map indicates Sulawesi on Indonesia, the location of a 7.5 magnitude quake that struck on Sept. 28, 2018.
A map indicates Sulawesi on Indonesia, the location of a 7.5 magnitude quake that struck on Sept. 28, 2018.

The quake hit the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and triggered a tsunami in Palu and Donngala, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The agency said the quake hit at a depth of about 6 miles and it was located 48 miles north of Palu. A number of aftershocks hit the area, with some registering 5.7 and 5.2 on the Richter scale.

The Associated Press, citing a spokesman with Indonesia’s disaster agency, reported that a tsunami occurred along Palu and Donngala. He said that entire houses were swept away and families are reported missing.

“All the things in my house were swaying and the quake left a small crack on my wall,” Donggala resident Mohammad Fikri told the agency.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman, said that communications with the area in central Sulawesi are down. A search and rescue effort is being hampered by darkness, according to another AP report.

“The cut to telecommunications and darkness are hampering efforts to obtain information,” he said. “All national potential will be deployed, and tomorrow morning we will deploy Hercules and helicopters to provide assistance in tsunami-affected areas.”

Palu’s airport stopped operations for 24 hours due to quake damage, according to AP.

In December 2004, a gigantic magnitude 9.1 earthquake hit off Sumatra in Indonesia, triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in several countries around the Indian Ocean.

Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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