Massive tremors were felt in the eastern part of Indonesia after a powerful earthquake of 7.6 magnitude struck the Northern Molucca Sea on April 2, triggering widespread panic and a brief tsunami warning across the region. The quake resulted in the death of one person and also damaged multiple buildings across the region.
The earthquake occurred at approximately 7. 48 am local time, with its epicentre located roughly 580 km south of the Philippine coast and 1,000 kilometres from Malaysia’s Sabah, as reported by news agency Reuters. The tremors were felt for 10-20 seconds in Bitung City and Ternate City, the report further mentioned.
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“Although relatively small, this situation still requires vigilance due to the potential for aftershocks,” Indonesia’s national disaster agency said in a statement, adding initial reports were of minor to moderate damage to several houses and a church, and a fuller assessment was underway.
MEASURING TSUNAMI WAVES
Following the powerful earthquake in the Northern Molucca Sea, Indonesia’s meteorology agency, BMKG, confirmed that tsunami waves reached at least five coastal locations.
The highest surge was recorded at 0.75 meters in North Minahasa, North Sulawesi, though BMKG Chief Teuku Faisal Fathani noted that initial modelling had suggested a more severe potential for waves up to 3 meters high.
In the aftermath of the main tremor, officials have monitored 11 aftershocks, the most significant reaching a magnitude of 5.5, prompting a continued advisory for the public to remain alert.
While the US tsunami warning authorities originally cautioned that hazardous waves could impact coastlines across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia within a 1,000-kilometre radius of the epicentre, that international threat warning has since been withdrawn.
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Published By:
Akash Chatterjee
Published On:
Apr 2, 2026 07:42 IST