On 28 September 2018, a shallow, powerful earthquake struck the neck of the Minahasa Peninsula, Indonesia, with its epicentre in the mountainous Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi. The 7.5–7.6 magnitude quake was located about 70 km (43 mi) from the provincial capital Palu and was felt as far as Samarinda in East Kalimantan and Tawau, Malaysia.

More than 70,000 houses were damaged, forcing tens of thousands of people into shelters and tents. In Palu, a mosque, part of Antapura Hospital, and the Tatura Mall, one of the city’s oldest shopping centres, collapsed, trapping many people.

Authorities confirmed that numerous settlements, including over a thousand homes, were destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami. Parts of Central Sulawesi were also struck by massive mudflows caused by liquefaction. The worst-affected areas were the Petobo sub-district in southern Palu and the village of Balaroa.

Out of Petobo’s 13,000 residents, around 6,000 were believed to be buried by mud. The National Board for Disaster Management reported that 2,050 houses were destroyed and 180 hectares of land shifted due to liquefaction.