Strong Earthquake Strikes East Indonesia, Killing One Person

(Bloomberg) -- A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia early Thursday, killing at least one person found under rubble at a Manado sports facility and triggering a tsunami threat, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency, known as Basarnas. 

One person was slightly injured and buildings in North Sulawesi and North Maluku were damaged, Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said during a briefing. Damage was also reported in Ternate, including to homes and a place of worship, he added.

The tremor generated tsunami waves of less than one meter in parts of North Sulawesi as well as 48 aftershocks, according to a statement from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, known as BMKG. Residents in parts of Bitung reported seawater receding several meters from the coastline, it said.

The tsunami warnings were lifted at 9.56 a.m. Jakarta time, the agency said. Authorities, however, urged residents to stay away from coastal areas and follow official guidance.

The quake, which hit at 6:48 a.m. local time, was centered about 129 kilometers (80 miles) southeast of Bitung at a depth of 62 kilometers, Basarnas said. Strong shaking lasting as long as 20 seconds triggered panic among residents.

Indonesia’s 17,000 islands are prone to earthquakes as the country straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire. The arc of fault lines and volcanoes cause frequent seismic upheavals, with BMKG typically recording thousands of quakes annually, most too small to be noticed.

More than 400 people were killed in December 2018 when Mount Anak Krakatau erupted and partially collapsed, causing a tsunami along the Sunda Strait. The same year an earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi killed more than 4,000 people. The 2004 Aceh tsunami remains the deadliest on record, killing more than 115,000 people. 

--With assistance from Rieka Rahadiana, Eko Listiyorini and Aradhana Aravindan.

(Updates with new information throughout the story.)

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