A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 hit the Moluccas early on Thursday 2 April.
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 Maluku province. As reported by the US Geological Survey, the earthquake struck around 6:48 a.m. (local time) and triggered dozens of aftershocks, including a strong 6.2 tremor.
A 70-year-old woman was crushed to death by debris from the collapsed building in the city of Manado, the capital of Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province.
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 Moluccas.
However, within two hours, Indonesia’s meteorological agency lifted the tsunami warning.
Pictures of the affected area revealed destroyed homes, a destroyed sports complex and frightened people gathering in the streets away from buildings.
Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is characterized by intense earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to the collision of tectonic plates.
This affects the large population of over 280 million people living in the Indonesian archipelago.
