An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck beneath the sea in northern Indonesia, causing buildings to collapse, forcing residents to flee, claiming one life, and triggering a small tsunami on Thursday. The quake’s epicenter was in the Molucca Sea, near Bitung in North Sulawesi province and Ternate city in North Maluku province, where strong tremors lasting 10 to 20 seconds were reported.
The Disaster Management Agency noted varying degrees of damage in Ternate, with a church and two houses affected, while damage assessments were still ongoing in Bitung. Residents described waking up to intense shaking, prompting them to quickly evacuate their homes.
A 70-year-old woman lost her life in a building collapse in Manado city, North Sulawesi, with another individual sustaining injuries. At least three people were hospitalized in Ternate due to injuries sustained during the earthquake.
Numerous aftershocks, including one measuring 6.2 magnitude, followed the initial quake. Although tsunami waves reaching up to 75 centimeters above normal tides were recorded along the Molucca Sea coast, Indonesia’s meteorological agency lifted the tsunami warning shortly after the event. Authorities are working to assess the extent of the damage, particularly in remote villages, and to gather information on potential casualties.
Despite the seismic activity, there was no significant threat to the Philippines, located north of the earthquake’s epicenter. Indonesia, a country comprising over 280 million inhabitants situated on major fault lines, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.