Indonesian city Palu hit by tsunami after strong 7.5 quake: Officials

Terrifying video footage shows massive waves crashing into an Indonesian island as a tsunami struck after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake.

In the shocking footage, apparently recorded in Palu, Sulawesi, today, enormous waves can be seen surging forward amid terrified screams.

The water knocks down homes and smashes into trees, leaving a trail of destruction in its path, as residents cry out and try to run to safety.

The video comes as officials have confirmed a tsunami of up to two metres hit the city after a powerful earthquake rocked central Sulawesi.

Officials say waters have since receded, but families are missing.

The earthquake hit the island earlier today - just hours after a smaller tremor destroyed buildings, killing one person and injuring 10 others.

The US Geological Survey said the second quake was centred at a depth of six miles around 35 miles northeast of the town of Donggala.

In the tsunami footage, waves can be seen tumbling at a great speed towards the land, as crowds of people shout and run frantically.

The person recording the dramatic scene focuses on the fleeing crowds, before turning back to the water, where giant waves are surging forward.

The water then crashes into the island before everything suddenly goes dark,



with the sounds of panicked people heard in the background.

Moments later, the camera refocuses, showing water streaming below through the streets, bringing chunks of debris with it.

The country's disaster agency confirmed a tsunami had hit Palu and the city of Donggala, sweeping away homes that were in its path.

It said families have been left missing, although there is no word on deaths.

Earlier, a tsunami warning had been issued for people in Central Sulawesi and West Sulawesi provinces following the earthquake. The same area had been hit by a deadly, 6.1-magnitude quake just hours before.

Although the warning was lifted within the hour, officials asked people to remain on the alert as a number of moderate aftershocks hit.

"We advise people to remain in safe areas, stay away from damaged buildings," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said in a TV interview earlier.

He added that the national agency in Jakarta was having difficulties reaching some authorities in the area.

The Geological Survey put the magnitude of the second quake at 7.5, after first saying it was 7.7.

According to Nugroho, the quake was felt “very strongly”.

“We expect more damage and more victims,” he said.