Jakarta (Indonesia): A powerful 7.4-magnitude undersea earthquake struck the Molucca Sea in northern Indonesia on Thursday, causing widespread panic, toppling buildings, and claiming at least one life. The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning across the region after monitoring stations recorded waves up to 75 cm (30 inches) above normal tides approximately 30 minutes after the initial shock. While the Indonesian meteorological agency eventually lifted the warning and the Philippines reported no destructive threat to its shores, the coastal areas of North Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces faced significant immediate danger.
The disaster resulted in the death of a 70-year-old woman in Manado city, North Sulawesi, following a building collapse, according to the national Search and Rescue Agency. In the city of Ternate, at least three individuals were hospitalized with injuries as initial assessments revealed severe damage to several structures, including a local church and multiple residential homes. Residents in Bitung and Ternate reported intense shaking lasting up to 20 seconds, leading to scenes of chaos as families fled their homes to gather in open streets, fearing the collapse of weakened structures.
The Indonesian Disaster Management Agency has recorded nearly 50 aftershocks following the primary quake, complicating ongoing rescue and damage assessment efforts. Television footage and social media videos showed flattened houses and cracked infrastructure across the affected islands. Local residents described being jolted awake by the violent tremors, with many forced to remain outdoors as authorities continue to monitor the stability of larger buildings and public facilities in the quake’s epicentre zone.
Located on the “Ring of Fire,” Indonesia is one of the most seismically active nations in the world, frequently experiencing devastating tectonic shifts. This latest 7.4-magnitude event serves as a grim reminder of the archipelago’s vulnerability to deep-sea seismic faults. Rescue teams remain on high alert in North Sulawesi, as they work to clear debris and provide emergency aid to those displaced by the destruction in Bitung and surrounding districts.
