Khaberni - An earthquake off the coast of Indonesia this Thursday morning caused small tsunami waves, and resulted in the death of at least one person and the destruction of homes and buildings, according to officials.
Indonesia is located in a tectonic region that witnesses frequent seismic and volcanic activity, known as the "Ring of Fire" in the Pacific Ocean.
The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.4 on the Richter scale, centered 127 kilometers west of the island of Ternate in North Maluku province, at a depth of 35 kilometers.
Waves reaching heights of up to 75 centimeters (30 inches) above normal tide levels were recorded at several monitoring stations about half an hour after the earthquake, which was centered in the Maluku Sea.
The Indonesian Meteorological Agency raised its tsunami warning hours after the earthquake, while the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology announced that there was no devastating threat to the Philippines north of the earthquake's epicenter.
According to the Indonesian Disaster Management Agency, strong tremors lasting between 10 and 20 seconds were felt in the city of Bitung in North Sulawesi province, and also in the city of Ternate in North Maluku province.
Memories of the 2004 disaster
Indonesia is located in a tectonic region that experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity, known as the "Ring of Fire" in the Pacific Ocean.
On December 26, 2004, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 off the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered destructive tsunami waves that struck countries around the Indian Ocean, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India, and reached all the way to Africa. The disaster resulted in the deaths of more than 230,000 people.
