Tsunami alert issued after 7.4-magnitude quake hits eastern Indonesia
A powerful 7.4-magnitude offshore earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Thursday, triggering a warning from a US monitoring center about potential "hazardous tsunami waves." The alert indicates possible impacts within 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of the epicenter, specifically mentioning coasts in Indonesia and potentially the Philippines. The quake occurred at 6:48 am local time in the Molucca Sea at a depth of 35 kilometers off Ternate. Initial reports cited a 7.8 magnitude, later updated to 7.4.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia in the Molucca Sea early Thursday, triggering tsunami warnings for coastal areas within 1,000 kilometers of the epicenter. The quake occurred at 6:48 am local time off Ternate at a depth of 35 kilometers, with initial reports citing a 7.8 magnitude that was later revised to 7.4. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an alert about potential "hazardous tsunami waves" that could affect coasts in Indonesia and potentially the Philippines.
Indonesian authorities, including the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), responded by issuing tsunami warnings for vulnerable coastal regions. The alert specifically mentioned the Talaud Islands, North Sulawesi, and other nearby areas as being at risk. Residents in coastal zones were urged to evacuate to higher ground as a precautionary measure.
While the earthquake was centered in Indonesian waters, Philippine authorities were also monitoring the situation closely due to the proximity to Mindanao and other southern Philippine islands. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) typically issues its own warnings when seismic events pose tsunami threats to Philippine coasts, though specific Philippine response details for this particular event were not immediately available in the search results.
As of the latest reports, there were no immediate confirmed casualties or significant damage from the earthquake itself. The tsunami warning remained in effect for several hours after the quake, with authorities continuing to monitor sea level gauges for any abnormal wave activity. The region is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it prone to seismic activity, and both Indonesia and the Philippines have established tsunami warning systems to protect coastal populations from such threats.
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