A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck the Northern Molucca Sea in eastern Indonesia on April 2. People in nearby cities like Bitung and Ternate felt heavy tremors for 10 to 20 seconds. The quake caused the death of one person and damaged several buildings, including houses and a church.
The earthquake happened at around 7:48 am local time. Its epicenter was about 580 km south of the Philippine coast and 1,000 km from Malaysia’s Sabah. Indonesia’s national disaster agency warned that aftershocks could follow and asked people to stay cautious. Officials have already recorded 11 smaller aftershocks, the strongest being 5.5 magnitude.
A brief tsunami warning was issued after the earthquake. Indonesia’s meteorology agency, BMKG, reported waves hitting at least five coastal areas. The highest wave reached 0.75 meters in North Minahasa, North Sulawesi. Initial forecasts had suggested waves could reach 3 meters, but the situation was less severe.
The US tsunami warning system had also alerted countries nearby, including the Philippines and Malaysia, but that international warning has now been canceled. Officials continue to monitor the area and ask residents to remain alert for safety.
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