On 28 September 2018 at 17:02 WIB (Indonesian Western Time), an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 hit Central Sulawesi, 27 kilometers northeast of Donggala with a shallow epicenter (10 km). It was immediately followed by a tsunami warning by BMKG (Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency). This earthquake triggered a tsunami that hit the coast at 17:22 WIB. 2 provinces were directly affected by the earthquake and tsunami: Central Sulawesi Province (4 districts/city; Donggala, Palu City, Sigi and Parigi Moutong) and West Sulawesi Province (North Mamuju District).
According to the most updated information about the impacts of this disaster from the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre), as of 26th October, there were already 2,081 casualties, with 1,309 missing or feared to be buried, and 4,438 major injuries. As many as 206,494 displaced persons are sheltered in 122 evacuation site, with 68,451 houses significantly damaged. According to ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre (ASMC), the sub-seasonal forecast indicates that Central Sulawesi may still experience rains and wetter conditions in the coming period.
