Indonesia Earthquake News: A massive earthquake has struck Indonesia. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Indonesia early Thursday morning. A tsunami also followed the quake. The earthquake and tsunami killed one person and caused significant damage to several homes.

A massive earthquake has struck Indonesia. Following the earthquake, another threat looms. That threat is a tsunami. After the earthquake in Indonesia, a tsunami has now begun wreaking havoc. A powerful earthquake struck Indonesian waters on Thursday morning, measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale. The earthquake subsequently triggered small tsunami waves. This deadly combination of earthquake and tsunami killed one person and damaged homes and buildings.

In fact, the USGS (United States Geological Survey) reported that a powerful earthquake struck offshore off the coast of eastern Indonesia early Thursday morning. Following this, a US monitoring agency issued a tsunami warning within a 1,000-kilometer radius of the epicenter. According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 and its epicenter was at a depth of 35 kilometers in the Molucca Sea. Dangerous tsunami waves could occur within a 1,000-kilometer radius of the epicenter, especially in coastal areas of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. The USGS also warned about the possibility of dangerous tsunami waves in areas located within a similar distance from the epicenter.

Earthquake in Indonesia
According to Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, tsunami waves were recorded at several monitoring stations less than half an hour after the quake. These included waves measuring eight inches in Bitung and one foot in West Halmahera. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said waves two inches high were recorded in Davao, southern Philippines, but there was no tsunami threat to remote areas.

According to Indonesia's disaster management agency, strong tremors were felt for 10 to 20 seconds in the coastal city of Bitung and surrounding areas in North Sulawesi province, as well as Ternate city in neighboring North Maluku province.

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How much destruction was caused by the earthquake and tsunami?

Initial assessments indicate minor damage in parts of Ternate. Local disaster management officials said a church was affected in the Batang Dua island district and two houses were damaged in South Ternate. Damage assessments in Bitung are still ongoing. Indonesia's search and rescue agency said a 70-year-old woman was killed and another resident was injured in North Sulawesi's Minahasa district.

"Caution is needed at this time, especially for those living in
coastal areas," Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Muhri said in a statement. He urged people not to venture into waters until authorities give permission. At least two more tremors were felt offshore following the earthquake. Officials said neither tremor posed a tsunami threat.

Why Indonesia is at risk
Indonesia is one of the world's most seismically active regions, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire. It is a vast 40,000-kilometer-long arc of volcanoes and fault lines created by the movement of tectonic plates. This horseshoe-shaped belt encircling the Pacific Ocean causes approximately 90 percent of the world's earthquakes and is known for its frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

An earthquake also occurred here last month.
According to the USGS, just last month, on March 3, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra. It frightened residents, but caused no major damage. The quake originated in the ocean near the northeastern tip of Sumatra, causing many people to flee their homes in panic in an area that is frequently hit by earthquakes. Meanwhile, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency recorded the quake as a magnitude 6.4 and said it struck at a depth of 13 kilometers.

PC:News18