A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.4 shook the Moluccan Sea early Thursday, April 2.
The earthquake toppled buildings and triggered a brief tsunami warning. Authorities have also reported the death of at least one person.
It had a depth of about 35 kilometers from the city of Ternate, in the northern province of Maluku. As reported by the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred around 6:48 am (local time) and caused dozens of aftershocks, including a strong 6.2 magnitude tremor.
A 70-year-old woman was crushed to death by the rubble of the collapsed building in the city of Manado, capital of the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi.
At least three other people were hospitalized with injuries in the city of Ternate.
After the earthquake, a small tsunami of up to 75 centimeters was generated. It was recorded at several monitoring stations around the coast of the Moluccan Sea.
However, within two hours, Indonesia’s meteorological agency lifted the tsunami warning.
Images from the affected area revealed destroyed houses, a destroyed sports complex and frightened people gathered in the streets away from the buildings.
Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is characterized by intense earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to colliding tectonic plates.
This affects the large population of more than 280 million people living in the Indonesian archipelago.
