Finance
On Tuesday, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Maluku province, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning.
The quake struck at 12.47 a.m., with the epicentre 148 kilometers northwest of Maluku Tenggara Barat’s (Kepulauan Tanimbar) district and a depth of 131 kilometers beneath the seabed, according to Xinhua news agency, citing authorities.
The tremors were felt in several neighboring provinces as well.
According to authorities, three aftershocks of varying magnitudes followed the main quake.
Over fears of a potential tsunami, 2,000 Maluku residents have relocated to higher ground as a precautionary measure, according to a disaster management official.
Tsunami warnings have been issued for Maluku and the neighboring province of Southeast Sulawesi.
Meanwhile, officials have confirmed that the quake destroyed several houses and buildings.
Another disaster management official told Xinhua that some of them had cracks, while others had collapsed.
According to the official, an assessment will be conducted to determine the exact magnitude of the temblor.
According to him, there have been no preliminary reports of injuries or fatalities.
“We have carried out several times of drill over an anticipation of tsunami. So when the quake happened, the residents rushed to leave the coastal areas and headed to higher grounds,” the official said.
The last time a tsunami hit Indonesia was during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
The powerful earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter scale struck off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 26, 2004.
The tsunami devastated communities along the Indian Ocean’s surrounding coasts, killing an estimated 227,898 people in 14 countries in one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.
With 130,736 deaths, Indonesia had the highest number.
Source:OCN
