Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits off Indonesia, killing one

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Molucca Sea near Indonesia’s Ternate island on Thursday morning, resulting in at least one fatality. The tremor, which struck at 06:48 local time (22:48 GMT) and reached a depth of 35 kilometers, initially prompted tsunami alerts that were later canceled. According to Indonesia’s national news agency Antara, a 70-year-old woman in North Sulawesi died after being hit by falling construction materials, while another individual sustained a leg injury from leaping from a building.

Tsunami Warnings and Regional Impact

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii first issued alerts for possible waves under 0.3 meters (1 foot) along coasts of Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Taiwan. The warning remained in place for two hours before being lifted. Despite the region’s frequent seismic activity, local residents described the quake as one of the strongest in at least six years.

Eyewitness Accounts

“It was really strong… My head even felt dizzy,”

said Isvara Safitri, a resident of central Manado, recalling how furniture in her home shook for several seconds. She noted that even the roads outside her residence experienced vibrations. “The earthquake feels like the strongest I’ve felt in years,” Safitri added. In Bitung, a city on Sulawesi’s northeastern coast, Yayuk Oktiani described the chaos at the market when “everything started shaking.” Power outages disrupted several stores, prompting people to flee as tremors intensified. Oktiani rushed to her child’s school, which lies near the sea, stating, “The situation there was chaotic… Teachers immediately told parents to take their children home, even though they had just arrived.”

“There were many people outside… I even saw some people leaving their house without having finished their shower,”

shared Budi Nurgianto, a Ternate resident, who noted the walls in his home vibrated for over a minute. The quake triggered widespread panic, with residents scrambling to safety. Meanwhile, in Manado, a 69-year-old patient at Siloam Hospital recounted the frantic evacuation efforts. “We were sitting there drinking tea… [Initially we] didn’t realize it was an earthquake. And then we heard a child scream, ‘Come down, hurry up,'”

Geological Context and Aftershocks

Manado and Bitung are situated on Sulawesi Island, while Ternate is a volcanic island in the North Maluku province. The quake’s epicenter was approximately midway between these locations. Following the main shock, at least two aftershocks—measuring 5.5 and 5.2 on the Richter scale—were recorded, with officials cautioning that more tremors could follow. An hour after the initial quake, the national geological agency noted “damage to buildings and injuries” but provided no further specifics. Footage from a search and rescue team in Manado showed people navigating rubble at a sports complex, with some exclaiming “oh my God” as they searched for survivors.

Large furniture items were thrown to the ground, and metallic structures were bent or deformed. The event left a lasting impression on those who experienced it, highlighting the region’s vulnerability to seismic events despite regular tremors.

Additional reporting by Heyder Affan in Jakarta