In Papua province, 47-year-old Maria and her five-month-old son, Adrian, were killed when the quake struck Serui at around noon. The quake was also felt in Biak.

The quake, which rattled North Mamuju regency in West Sulawesi  at 8:25 a.m., killed 35-year-old Awal and badly injured four others. The tremors also damaged 92 houses and destroyed 14 others.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wachyono said the police and rescuers deployed to the scene of the disaster were still searching for other victims.

“The two victims [in Serui] were reportedly crushed when their home collapsed,” Wachyono told The Jakarta Post in Jayapura.

The Papua quake also damaged at least 20 homes. Seven others were  razed by fires started by the quake.

Serui resident Lorina Siahaan said the initial quake was not too strong, but was followed by powerful aftershocks, which sent residents running for higher ground out of fears of a tsunami.

“Everyone panicked and fled the coast,” she told the Post.

Lorina said officials from relevant agencies later announced the quake would not trigger a tsunami.

In Biak, quakes also caused wide-spread panic, as many recalled the massive quake that hit Biak and Manokwari in 1996.

“They were scared, traumatized. Many buildings were damaged, but there are no reports of casualties yet,” said Biak resident, Victor.

As of Wednesday evening, most residents in Papuan towns preferred to stay outside their homes while the electricity was still cut off.

Quake analyst at the Jayapura Meteorology and Geophysical Agency, Agung, told the Post the initial quake, which struck at 12:06 p.m., measured a magnitude of 6.2, with the epicenter located southeast of Biak at a depth of 10 kilometers beneath the ocean floor.

The larger 7-magnitude quake struck 10 minutes later.

He said smaller aftershocks could be felt until 5 p.m..

In South Sulawesi, Makassar Meteorology and Geophysical Agency [BMG] official, Syawal, confirmed the quake, which struck in the Makassar Strait, around 91 kilometers northwest of Palu, Central Sulawesi, at a depth of around 10 kilometers.

“BMG in Palu detected strong tremors as it’s the closest station, but the tremors were felt even stronger in North Mamuju [as it’s even closer to the epicenter],” said Syawal.

North Mamuju Disaster Mitigation Agency head Yunus Aslam said the strongest tremor was felt in Sigani and Kasano village in Baras district, some 60 kilometers south of North Mamuju regency capital.

“The number [of victims and damage] could rise because data has only come from nearby villages and not from remote areas,” said Yunus

North Mamuju Police Chief Adj. Sr. Kamaruddin said military and police personnel assigned to the disaster site had set up makeshift tents for the quake victims and distributed food and medicine.

Injured people were treated at community healthcenters.

“Some of the residents have started to return home, while those whose houses collapsed in the disaster will stay with family members.”

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