Magnitude 5.1 earthquake kills 1, damages buildings in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province late Sunday, killing a hospital patient during an evacuation and damaging homes and public buildings, said local authorities.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency said the shallow quake struck at 9.46 pm local time (1346GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.21 miles), with its epicenter in Buol regency. The tremor was also felt in neighboring areas of Central Sulawesi and Gorontalo province.

Buol Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Moh Khacfy Mardjun said preliminary assessments found damage to government buildings, a hospital, a restaurant and residential properties.

“Preliminary data shows damage to several public facilities and residential buildings. One patient at the regional hospital also died during the evacuation process,” Khacfy said.

Authorities were continuing damage assessments, setting up temporary shelters and distributing emergency supplies, according to the Jakarta Globe.