Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes Sulawesi Island

JAKARTA, Indonesia — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 struck off Indonesia's Sulawesi island on Sunday, causing residents to flee coastal areas in fear of a tsunami.

Indonesian officials -- who have been under fire for failing to warn people ahead of last week's deadly tsunami on Java island -- recorded the quake at 6.6 and said it had the potential to trigger destructive waves.

They later said no tsunami was generated and told residents to return home.

The magnitude 6.1 quake struck 67 miles south of Gorontalo in northern Sulawesi, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was felt across parts of Sulawesi, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.

Fauzi, an official at Indonesia's geological agency, said officials there gave the quake an initial strength of 6.6. Different agencies often give different magnitudes for quakes and revise the figure later after analyzing more seismographical data.

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