An earthquake measuring 7.5 magnitudes hit Palu city in Indonesia on Friday, September 28. It generated unusual Tsunami which destructed Palu city and its nearby areas in the Sulawesi region of Indonesia. The recent disasters have killed more than 844 people, but the death toll can reach up since authorities haven’t yet been able to reach many affected areas. Donggala is one of the most destructed areas having a population of more than 300,000 and it lies around 40 km north of Palu.
Indonesian natural disaster agency, BNPB (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana) has reported widespread damage to buildings, roads and communication infrastructure. The meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency of the country, Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG) had warned of an ensuing Tsunami after the quake had struck. But, a large number of people were still caught unawares by the large waves. Those waves were as high as 6 meters, that swept Palu city. The officials said that the Tsunami warning was lifted only after the water came crashing in, doubts prevail if people were given enough information about the impending danger.
The region falls in the Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped belt of seismic activity hotspots like volcanoes, earthquake epicenters and tectonic plate boundaries. This means that while earthquakes are common here, the resulting tsunami was abnormal. A tsunami is caused by an earthquake-like vertical movement of tectonic plates under water. But the preceding earthquake was a result of a strike-slip fault which happens due to horizontal movement. Scientists have tried to explain this unusual occurrence by taking into account the unique geography of the region.