PALU, Indonesia — A powerful and shallow 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province on Tuesday morning, June 16, 2026 triggering widespread panic and sending terrified residents rushing into the streets for safety.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that the quake struck at 11:27 AM local time. The epicenter was determined to be roughly 42 to 46 kilometers east-southeast of Palu, the provincial capital.

Crucially, the earthquake occurred at a very shallow depth of just 10 kilometers. Shallow earthquakes are known to cause significantly more intense ground shaking at the surface than deeper ones. The severe shaking lasted for more than a minute across the region.

The intense movement caused chaos in the city of Palu, which is home to around 400,000 residents. At Samaritan Hospital, patients and visitors scrambled frantically to reach open ground as the building shook. Medical staff were forced to evacuate vulnerable patients outdoors—some still attached to IV drips or in wheelchairs—leaving them lined up in hospital beds on the streets.

Local hotels also emptied rapidly. Effendi Natali, a general manager of a four-star hotel in Palu, reported that all guests panicked and fled their rooms, though everyone ultimately made it to safety with the building sustaining only minor damage.

Initial images emerging from the impact zone revealed scattered structural damage. Several buildings suffered shattered walls, partially collapsed roofs, and piles of debris littered across city streets.

Officials confirmed that the seismic activity did not trigger a tsunami threat. However, the area remains highly volatile. Just three minutes after the main tremor, the USGS detected a strong 5.2-magnitude aftershock at the same shallow depth. BMKG has urged residents to remain calm but alert, advising everyone to stay clear of cracked or compromised structures.

The panic in Palu is compounded by deep historical trauma. In September 2018, the city was devastated by a massive earthquake that triggered a catastrophic tsunami and soil liquefaction, killing more than 4,000 people.

While the National Disaster Management Agency is still gathering information on potential casualties, no deaths have been immediately reported. Indonesia sits squarely on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an area of high seismic activity where multiple tectonic plates collide.