Magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes near Indonesia; tsunami threat issued

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has struck the Molucca Sea near Indonesia, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). A tsunami threat exists for parts of Indonesia.

The earthquake struck at 6:48 a.m. local time on Thursday (6:48 p.m. EDT Wednesday) and was centered in the Molucca Sea between Indonesia’s North Sulawesi and North Maluku regencies, according to the USGS. It struck at a depth of 35 km (22 mi).

The epicenter was located 127 km (79 mi) northeast of the city of Ternate and about 166 km (103 mi) southeast of the city of Manado, both in Indonesia.

A tsunami threat has been issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), which warned of hazardous tsunami waves of 30 cm to 1 meter (12 inches to 3.3 feet) for some coasts of Indonesia.

Tsunami waves reaching no more than 30 cm (12 inches) could occur in Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Guam, Northern Marianas, Papua New Guinea, Palau and Yap, according to the PTWC.

The USGS indicated that the earthquake may have caused strong shaking for nearly 300,000 people, including in the Indonesian city of Bitung, while up to 2.4 million people may have experienced moderate shaking.

The Molucca Sea, in eastern Indonesia, is one of the country’s more complex and active seismic zones, where multiple plates and microplates interact, producing strong earthquakes that can sometimes generate tsunamis.