JAKARTA: Indonesia was rocked by a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Friday where it was said that "many" buildings had collapsed due to it. The quake hit central Sulawesi island at a shallow depth of some 10 kilometres (six miles), the US Geological Survey said.

The latest quake was a higher magnitude than those that killed hundreds on the island of Lombok earlier this year. The pictures showed major damage to buildings, with rubble strewn about the road and large cracks running through the pavement.

Viral videos from the region showed that the Indonesian city of Palu was slammed by waves from a tsunami set off by a powerful earthquake that rippled across the region. In the video, people were seen screaming and running in fear.

Rahmat Triyono, head of the agency's earthquake and tsunami division said "A tsunami has happened in Palu." The city is said to be 350,000 nearly 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the quake's epicentre.

AFP reported that a search and rescue teams have been dispatched to hard-hit areas. There was no information on death or injuries. Indonesia is one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth. The Southeast Asian archipelago nation lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide and many of the world's volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.


At this time, ABP News cannot confirm the authenticity of the video.