Overview:
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Molucca Sea early Thursday, triggering tsunami warnings and sending residents fleeing as buildings were damaged and casualties reported. Authorities are assessing the full extent of the impact as aftershocks continue to rattle the region.
(ABC-Australia) A powerful magnitude-7.4 earthquake has struck in the Molucca Sea region north-east of Indonesia, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The USGS reported aftershocks as high as magnitude 5, and Indonesia’s meteorology agency reported tsunami waves in West Halmahera at 0.3m high and Bitung at 0.2m high.
The quake, which hit early today, had a depth of 35 kilometres and its epicentre was 127km west-north-west of Ternate, Indonesia, the USGS said.
The US tsunami warning system said tsunami waves were possible in neighbouring countries.
Brajakson Siokal was in the city of Manado and staying on the fourth floor of a hotel when the earthquake struck.
“I felt a tremor … and it kept getting stronger, and that’s when I realised it was an earthquake,” Mr Siokal told ABC News.
I didn’t think twice. I didn’t take anything except my mobile phone and immediately ran.
“In my entire life, this is the first time I’ve ever experienced an earthquake that strong and with such a long duration.
“The damage I saw at the hotel — in the room, the ceiling at the front had completely collapsed.”
The Head of Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Abdul Muhari, told ABC News that teams in Manado and Bitung, North Sulawesi, as well as Ternate, North Maluku, were still inspecting a number of buildings to assess the extent of the damage and to determine whether there had been any further fatalities.
“We are still collecting data to confirm the number of victims and the damage in each location,” Mr Muhari told ABC News.
“There have indeed been earlier reports of casualties from the Regional Disaster Management Agency, but we will provide updated details later regarding the exact figures. . . our teams are still working in the field.”
“One victim who died after being hit by debris has been taken to the hospital,” said Nuriadin Gumeleng, spokesperson for the North Sulawesi National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
Basarnas also reported one person with injuries who is currently receiving treatment.
“The other person broke his leg after jumping from a shop,” the spokesperson said.
Basarnas is still seeking information regarding the possibility of further casualties in the earthquake.
Indonesian broadcaster Metro TV reported one person had died from falling rubble in the Manado area, and video showed damaged buildings.
Indonesia straddles the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on the earth’s crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.
Regional governments in some cities, such as on Ternate and Tidore, the historic Spice Islands, were urged to prepare citizens for evacuation.
The epicentre of the quake was roughly 580km south of the Philippine coast and 1,000km from Malaysia’s Sabah.
The Philippines’ seismology agency said there was “no destructive tsunami threat” to the country based on the latest data.
Waves of heights ranging from 0.3m to 1m above the tide level could hit some coastal areas of Indonesia, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
AP/Reuters