The earthquake's epicenter was at 1.32 degrees north latitude and 128.01 degrees east longitude, approximately 24 km away from the district, with a depth of 132 km, the agency said.
However, no tsunami warning was issued following the quake, but the BMKG urged locals to remain cautious of aftershocks.
Earthquakes regularly rock various parts of Indonesia since the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.
Aceh, Indonesia's westernmost province, experienced the deadliest earthquake ever recorded, with a magnitude of 9.3, followed by a tsunami on December 26, 2004. The catastrophe also affected certain coastal areas in countries such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India, and reportedly killed some 230,000 people.
Deadly earthquakes have repeatedly hit the island of Sulawesi. On September 28, 2018, for instance, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit several parts of Central Sulawesi Province.
The strong earthquake that was followed by a tsunami and soil liquefaction in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi Province, claimed 2,102 lives, injured 4,612, and rendered 680 others missing.
Serious damage was inflicted on 68,451 homes, resulting in the displacement of 78,994 people.
The authorities and humanitarian workers decided to bury a large number of rotting corpses in mass graves.
The authorities estimated material losses inflicted by the twin deadly disasters to reach Rp15.29 trillion or approximately US$985 million at the current exchange rates.
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Translator: Zubi M, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Anton Santoso
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