Quake rattles eastern Indonesia coast

A powerful undersea earthquake off Indonesia’s eastern islands killed at least one person, damaged homes and public buildings, and triggered a tsunami warning that was later lifted after small waves were recorded along parts of the coast. Authorities said the magnitude 7.4 quake struck northwest of Ternate in North Maluku at a depth of about 35 km, sending residents into the streets in Ternate, Bitung and Manado as strong shaking spread across northern Sulawesi and nearby island groups.

The fatality was reported in Manado, where a 70-year-old woman died after debris from a damaged structure fell during the shaking. Several other people were reported injured, while emergency teams continued inspections in affected districts to determine the full extent of the damage. Early assessments pointed to minor to moderate destruction, including damage to houses, a church and other buildings in North Maluku and North Sulawesi.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning soon after the quake, cautioning that waves of up to 3 metres were possible in some coastal areas. That alert was later withdrawn after the sea disturbance proved limited. Reports indicated tsunami waves reached as much as 0.75 metres above normal levels at some monitoring points, including in North Sulawesi, while smaller fluctuations were detected elsewhere. Authorities still urged coastal communities to stay cautious because of aftershocks and the risk of weakened structures collapsing.

The quake struck in the Molucca Sea, one of the most active seismic zones in the archipelago. The United States Geological Survey located the epicentre about 127 km west-northwest of Ternate and described the event as a reviewed magnitude 7.4 earthquake. Its timing, at 22:48:12 UTC on April 1, corresponds to the morning of April 2 in Indonesia, helping explain why international and local reports referred to different calendar dates while describing the same event.

People in the affected region described a long, forceful tremor that prompted panic as families rushed out of homes before dawn. Images from the scene showed cracked walls, fallen masonry and rescue workers checking damaged neighbourhoods. Officials said the shaking was strong enough to be felt across a wide area of eastern Indonesia, though the pattern of destruction appeared scattered rather than catastrophic. That helped limit casualties compared with some of the country’s past disasters, even as the quake revived fears of a larger tsunami in a region with painful memories of previous seismic events.

Dozens of aftershocks followed the main quake, with some reaching above magnitude 5, adding to public anxiety and complicating early rescue and inspection work. Residents were warned not to return immediately to visibly damaged buildings. Disaster officials said full assessments could take time, especially across remote islands where communications and transport links can slow the reporting of losses.

The earthquake also drew attention beyond Indonesia because the initial tsunami alert covered a broad maritime area. Neighbouring countries including the Philippines and Malaysia monitored the situation, but no major cross-border impact was reported after the warning was cancelled. The limited tsunami effect provided some relief, although the episode underscored how quickly a large offshore earthquake in the region can trigger warnings across several countries.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet, making the country one of the world’s most earthquake-prone nations. The Molucca Sea and surrounding islands have a long history of strong seismic activity, and the USGS notes that large earthquakes are common in the broader zone. That geology leaves communities facing repeated risks from ground shaking, landslides and tsunamis, particularly in coastal settlements and older urban districts where building resilience varies sharply.