An undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 caused buildings to collapse in parts of northern Indonesia, leading to evacuations, claiming at least one life, and triggering a minor tsunami on Thursday. The tremor, which was centered in the Molucca Sea, resulted in strong shaking lasting between 10 to 20 seconds in Bitung in North Sulawesi province and Ternate city in North Maluku province.
Preliminary evaluations revealed varying degrees of damage in Ternate, including a church and two residences, while damage assessments were still ongoing in Bitung. Residents described being jolted awake by the powerful shaking, forcing them to quickly evacuate their homes.
The disaster agency reported that a 70-year-old woman lost her life in a building collapse in Manado city, North Sulawesi, with another individual sustaining injuries. Additionally, three injured persons were taken to hospitals in Ternate. Numerous aftershocks, including one measuring 6.2 in magnitude, followed the initial earthquake.
Although tsunami waves up to 75 centimeters above normal tides were observed at monitoring stations along the Molucca Sea coast, the tsunami warning was eventually lifted by Indonesia’s meteorological agency. Authorities are actively gathering information on the extent of damage and potential casualties, especially in remote areas.
Indonesia, home to over 280 million people and known for its susceptibility to seismic activities, experiences frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on major tectonic plates. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology confirmed that the earthquake posed no significant threat to their nation, situated north of the epicenter.