7.4-magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia; tsunami warning issued
What's the story
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Northern Molucca Sea region of Indonesia on Thursday morning local time, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The quake's epicenter was located 127km west-northwest of Ternate at a depth of 35km. The US tsunami warning system has warned that tsunami waves are possible within 1,000km of the epicenter along coastlines in Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia.
Tsunami warning
Japan, Australia rule out tsunami threat
The US tsunami warning system has predicted tsunami waves of 0.3 to one meter above tide level for parts of the Indonesian coastline. It also forecasted waves less than 30cm above tide level for Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines and Taiwan. However, Japan's meteorological agency only expected "slight sea level changes" on its coast without any tsunami damage, while Australia's Bureau of Meteorology ruled out a tsunami threat to Australia.
Casualties reported
Building collapses in Manado, 1 killed
The earthquake caused a building to collapse in Manado, North Sulawesi province, killing one person. George Leo Mercy Randang, a local search and rescue official, said the victim was "buried under the rubble." The quake was initially recorded at a magnitude of 7.8 before being revised by USGS. An Agence France-Presse journalist in Manado described how residents rushed outdoors due to the tremors. "I immediately woke up and left my house. People [were] immediately scrambling outside," he said.
Seismic risk
Indonesia prone to earthquakes
Indonesia is especially prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its position on the "Ring of Fire," where roughly 90% of all earthquakes occur. In 2022, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake killed over 600 people in West Java's Cianjur city. The deadliest quake was in Aceh province in 2004 when a magnitude-9.1 quake triggered a tsunami, killing over 170,000 people in Indonesia.