A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake has hit Indonesia, leading to a tsunami alert being issued. The seismic event occurred in the Northern Molucca Sea on April 2, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The US monitoring center warned of potential hazardous tsunami waves within 1,000km of the earthquake’s epicenter.
Initially recorded as a 7.6 magnitude quake, it was later downgraded to 7.4. The earthquake struck at 6:48 am local time with a depth of 35km. The epicenter was located 127 kilometers west-northwest of Ternate in the North Maluku province, where over 205,000 people reside, as per USGS data.
Tragically, a 70-year-old woman lost her life after being trapped under building debris in North Sulawesi. Another individual suffered a broken leg while attempting to escape a building. Emergency services provided treatment to the injured person.
Residents in the affected areas described feeling intense shaking during the earthquake. An eyewitness in central Manado reported furniture shaking for several seconds, causing dizziness. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii cautioned about possible tsunami waves along the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, with potential wave heights of up to one meter above normal tide levels.
While various countries were put on alert for possible tsunami impacts, Japan’s meteorological agency assured that only minor sea level changes were expected, with no significant tsunami damage anticipated. Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology confirmed there was no tsunami threat to its mainland or territories.
Fortunately, no tsunami-related damages were reported. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) dispatched experts to assess the earthquake’s impact in the affected regions of North Maluku and North Sulawesi.
Indonesia, located on the Ring of Fire, experiences frequent seismic activities due to its position on major fault lines. The Ring of Fire, encircling the Pacific Ocean, is renowned for its high volcanic and earthquake activities, hosting the majority of the world’s volcanoes and earthquakes.
The recent earthquake serves as a reminder of Indonesia’s vulnerability to natural disasters, with past tragedies like the 2018 Sulawesi quake and tsunami and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami highlighting the nation’s susceptibility to such events.
