A powerful series of earthquakes struck the Northern Molucca Sea region early Thursday local time, with the main shock measured at magnitude 7. 4 and initially recorded at 7. 8. The tremor hit near the island city of Ternate and prompted tsunami alerts that were later lifted. The U. S. Geological Survey and Indonesian authorities described significant shaking, local damage and at least one fatality.
Earthquakes: Magnitude, epicentre and tsunami alerts
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) placed the main shock at magnitude 7. 4, at a depth of about 35km, with an epicentre roughly 127km west-northwest of Ternate, and initially flagged the event at a higher magnitude. The quake struck at 5: 48 p. m. ET Wednesday (local early Thursday) and was felt across a wide area of the archipelago.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) initially warned that hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 1, 000 kilometres of the epicentre, along coasts including Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, and forecast modest sea level changes for other regional coasts. Indonesian authorities later lifted broad tsunami warnings; PTWC announced the tsunami threat had passed just over two hours after the tremor.
Indonesia’s BMKG geological agency logged sea-level anomalies in the wake of the quake: waves of up to 75 centimetres were recorded in North Minahasa, 20 centimetres in Bitung, and 30 centimetres in North Maluku province. The agencies named are continuing to monitor coastal measurements and seismic data.
Immediate reactions and reported damage
Local officials and residents described widespread alarm as buildings swayed and people rushed outdoors. George Leo Mercy Randang, a local search and rescue official, said, “The quake was felt strongly and around Manado … one person died and one person had a leg injury. ” He said the fatality occurred when a building collapsed in Manado, North Sulawesi province.
Budi Nurgianto, a Ternate resident, described escaping his home as walls shook: “I felt like the tremor lasted for more than a minute. When I went outside, there were many people outside. They were panicked… I even saw some people leaving their house without having finished their shower. “
Saiful, another resident of Ternate, said the shaking began gently and then intensified until his house was “shaking violently, ” forcing everyone to evacuate. Fanli, a driver in Manado, said he pulled off the road to avoid falling trees and electricity poles. Isvara Safitri, a journalist in central Manado, described furniture rattling and roads visibly shaking but noted she had not seen major structural damage near her home.
What’s next
Authorities urged preparedness in vulnerable cities, with local officials in places such as Ternate and Tidore advising residents to prepare for possible evacuation. PTWC lifted its initial tsunami warning after measurements suggested waves had been limited, but Indonesia’s BMKG and the USGS remain cited institutions for ongoing monitoring. It is unclear whether further significant aftershocks or coastal impacts will occur; agencies and local search-and-rescue teams are assessing damage and issuing updates as measurements and field reports come in.
Emergency services, geological agencies and local officials are expected to provide further information on casualties, infrastructure damage and any continuing coastal risks as they complete assessments of this sequence of earthquakes.
