Tsunami warning lifted after 7.4 earthquake shakes eastern Indonesia

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.4 hit the Molucca Sea early Thursday, April 2.

The quake toppled buildings and triggered a brief tsunami warning. Authorities have also reported the death of at least one person.

It had a depth of around 35 kilometres from the city of Ternate in north Maluku province. As reported by the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake hit around 6:48 a.m. (local time) and triggered dozens of aftershocks, including a strong 6.2 magnitude tremor.

A 70-year-old woman was crushed to death by debris from the collapsed building in the city of Manado, the capital of the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi.

At least three other people were hospitalized with injuries in the city of Ternate.

Following the earthquake, a small tsunami of up to 75 centimetres was generated. It was recorded at several monitoring stations around the Molucca Sea coast.

However, within two hours, Indonesia’s meteorological agency lifted the tsunami warning.

Images of the affected area revealed destroyed homes, a destroyed sports complex, and frightened people gathering on the streets away from buildings.

Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is characterized by intense earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of the collision of tectonic plates.

This affects the large population of over 280 million people living in the Indonesian archipelago.