Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Indonesia

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Indonesia, with more than 2 million people estimated to have felt the shaking, according to seismologists. No casualties or damage are expected.

The earthquake occurred at 4:50 a.m. local time on Thursday and was centered in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi Province, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It struck at a depth of 90 miles (147 kilometers) below the surface.

The epicenter was located approximately 70 miles (109 kilometers) west of the city of Gorontalo and about 179 miles (179 km) east of Palu City in Central Sulawesi Province.

According to the USGS impact assessment, more than 2 million people may have experienced light shaking, while nearly half a million felt weak shaking. The assessment indicated a low likelihood of casualties or significant economic losses.

The region where the earthquake occurred lies along a highly complex boundary between the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. In this part of Indonesia, these massive plates interact through a combination of subduction, collision, and lateral motion, which generates frequent seismic activity.

In 2018, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck near the city of Palu, not far from this region, killing more than 4,300 people. The disaster triggered a localized tsunami with waves up to 23 feet (7 m) high, which devastated large parts of the city.