A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia on Thursday, killing one person and injuring another, officials confirmed. The quake was centered in the Molucca Sea at a depth of about 35 km (22 miles), according to the US Geological Survey.
Strong tremors were felt in and around Manado in North Sulawesi. Search and rescue official George Leo Mercy Randang said one person died while another sustained a leg injury due to the impact.
Tsunami waves were detected at multiple monitoring points following the quake. In Bitung, waves reached 20 cm, while West Halmahera recorded waves of up to 30 cm, as per Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu also reported minor waves of about 5 cm in Davao, southern Philippines.
Authorities initially issued a tsunami alert, which was later lifted after further assessment. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirmed that the threat had passed. However, Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari urged continued caution, advising coastal residents to stay away from beaches until an official all-clear is given.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 280 million people, sits along major seismic fault lines and frequently experiences earthquakes and volcanic activity.
