JAKARTA — A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck in the Molucca Sea off Indonesia’s Ternate island early Thursday, killing at least one person, damaging some buildings and triggering tsunami waves, authorities and witnesses said.
The earthquake struck at 06:48 local time (22:48 GMT) at a depth of 35km.
Indonesia’s meteorology agency BMKG said tsunami waves were reported in five locations, the highest at 0.75 m (2.46 ft) in North Minahasa, North Sulawesi and 11 aftershocks were monitored, the largest at a magnitude of 5.5. It warned the public to stay alert.
BMKG chief Teuku Faisal Fathani told a press conference that its modeling indicated there was tsunami potential for waves of 0.5 m to 3 m (1.6 ft to 9.8 ft) high.
One person was killed by falling rubble in the Manado area when part of a building used by the local sports authority collapsed, deputy chief of North Sulawesi police Awi Setiyono told reporters.
Indonesia straddles the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a highly seismically active zone where different plates on the earth’s crust meet, creating a large number of earthquakes and volcanic activity in some of the country’s more than 130 active volcanoes.
A 70-year-old woman in North Sulawesi died after being crushed by building debris, and another person broke their leg after jumping off a building, Indonesia’s national news agency Antara reported.
While the region experiences high levels of seismic activity, some residents told the BBC this was one of the strongest earthquakes they have felt in at least the past six years.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned that tsunami waves less than 0.3m (1 ft) “were possible” along the coasts of Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Taiwan. The tsunami alert was lifted after two hours.
Journalist Isvara Safitri, who lives in central Manado, recalled how furniture in her room shook for several seconds.
“It was really strong… My head even felt dizzy,” Safitri told BBC Indonesian.
Even the roads outside the house were shaking, she said, adding that the earthquake “feels like the strongest” she’s experienced over the past six years.
Yayuk Oktiani, who lives in Bitung, a city on the north-eastern coast of Sulawesi, said she often experiences tremors, “but they’re never as strong as this one”.
Oktiani was at the market when “everything started shaking”. Several stores experienced power outages and as the tremors got stronger, people fled, she told the BBC.
She headed straight for her child’s school, which is located “very close” to the sea.
“The situation there was chaotic… The teachers immediately told parents to bring their children home, even though they had only just arrived,” she said.
In Ternate, resident Budi Nurgianto said the walls in his house vibrated for what felt like more than a minute. He rushed outside, into a scene of panic.
“There were many people outside… I even saw some people leaving their house without having finished their shower,” he told AFP news agency.
Manado and Bitung are located on the island of Sulawesi, while Ternate is a volcanic island in the North Maluku province.
The epicentre of the quake was roughly midway between Manado and Ternate.
At least two aftershocks, with magnitudes 5.5 and 5.2, followed the major quake, with authorities warning of more to come.
The national geological agency reported “damage to buildings and injuries” about an hour after the initial tremor, but did not provide further detail.
Footage from a search and rescue team in Manado shows residents and officials walking through the rubble at a sports complex, with some shouting “oh my God”.
Large pieces of furniture were flung onto the ground, with some metallic structures bent out of shape.
A patient at Siloam Hospital in Manado recalled the frantic efforts to evacuate staff and patients.
“We were sitting there drinking tea… [Initially we] didn’t realise it was an earthquake. And then we heard a child scream, ‘Come down, hurry up,’ ” said Admini, 69.
Nurses and doctors quickly set up makeshift treatment areas, out in the open and inside vehicles.
“Everyone was huddled together outside,” Admini said. “Some were in wheelchairs, others were helping each other.” — Agencies
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