A powerful earthquake jolted eastern Indonesia early Monday, killing at least two people, damaging hundreds of homes and briefly triggering a region-wide tsunami warning, officials said as they surveyed the damage. The 7.5-magnitude quake struck off the coast of Sulawesi island in the middle of the night, sending thousands fleeing homes, hotels and even hospitals. Some grabbed the hands of crying children and clutched onto their most valuable possessions, Associated Press reported. The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor hit 85 miles (135 kilometers) from the nearest city of Gorantalo and was centered 16 miles (26 kilometers) beneath the sea. Two strong aftershocks followed, one measuring 5.5 and the other 5.1. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned that the massive quake had the potential to generate a destructive tsunami along coasts within 600 miles (1,000 kilometers). Frightened Sulawesi residents refused to return indoors long after a local alert was lifted, many sleeping in the hills.
