Indonesia’s northern region was hit by an undersea earthquake on Thursday with a magnitude of 7.4. The earthquake killed at least one person and damaged many buildings. People ran out of their homes out of fear after the earthquake caused a small tsunami.
In the early hours of April 2, 2026, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the Molucca Sea area of Indonesia. At a depth of 35 kilometres, the epicentre of the earthquake was about 127 kilometres west northwest of Ternate.
Coastal areas were warned of tsunamis, and small waves were seen at a number of monitoring stations. Strong shaking from the earthquake lasted for 10 to 20 seconds and hit places in Bitung, North Sulawesi, and Ternate, North Maluku, which is close by. The Disaster Management Agency said that the epicentre of the earthquake was in the Molucca Sea.
Evaluation of Damage
At first, different levels of damage were seen across Ternate. For example, a church and two houses were completely destroyed. Reports from the agency said that assessments were still going on in Bitung.
Number of deaths and injuries
The Search and Rescue Agency of Indonesia confirmed that a 70yr old woman died when a building in Manado collapsed, and another resident was hurt. In addition, at least three people needed to be hospitalised in Ternate.
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Information about the quake
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says the earthquake happened at 10:48 a.m. nearby. The center of the quake was 35 kilometres below the surface of the water, 127 kilometres west northwest of Ternate. At first, the quake was said to be stronger, but later it was changed to a magnitude 7.4. Even with the change, it is still a strong undersea earthquake that can have a big effect.
Several monitoring stations picked up tsunami waves less than 30 minutes later. In Bitung, the waves were 20 centimetres (8 inches) high, and in West Halmahera, they were 30 centimetres (a foot) high, according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency.
About three hours after the earthquake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said waves of five centimetres (two inches) were seen in Davao in the southern Philippines. However, there was no danger in farther away places. According to Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency, people in Bitung, a coastal city in North Sulawesi province, and the nearby areas felt strong shaking that lasted 10 to 20 seconds. The same was true in Ternate, a city in the neighbouring North Maluku province.
After the main earthquake, there were many aftershocks, including one that was 6.2 on the Richter scale. The authorities are actively gathering information about how bad the damage is and how many people may have been hurt, especially in villages that are far away.
At different monitoring stations along the coast of the Molucca Sea, tsunami waves that were 75 centimetres (30 inches) higher than normal tide levels were seen. A few hours after the earthquake, Indonesia’s meteorological agency took down its tsunami warning. Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said there was no chance of a damaging tsunami hitting the Philippines.
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Earthquakes in Indonesia
Indonesia, which is home to more than 280 million people, is on major seismic fault lines and often has earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Some areas of Ternate had light to moderate damage. One church was damaged in the Batang Dua Island district, and two homes were damaged in South Ternate, according to local disaster officials. The agency said that damage assessments were still being done in Bitung. The Search and Rescue Agency of Indonesia said that a 70 year old woman died in the Minahasa district of North Sulawesi and that another resident was hurt.
At least two smaller quakes were felt after the main one. Both of them happened offshore. Officials said that neither aftershock could have caused a tsunami, but people in the affected areas could feel them.
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