One dead as major earthquake hits eastern Indonesia; tsunami warning lifted after 2 hours

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck the Northern Molucca Sea near Indonesia's famous spice island of Ternate early on April 2, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This quake led to a tsunami warning for nearby Southeast Asian countries. Indonesian news outlet Metro TV reported that one person died in the Manado area due to falling debris, and videos showed buildings that were damaged. George Leo Mercy Randang, an official, told AFP via phone that the earthquake was felt strongly, resulting in one death and one leg injury. The deceased was trapped under the ruins of a collapsed structure. The tsunami warning was canceled after about two hours, as stated by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC). The agency confirmed that the tsunami threat had passed based on the available information, just over two hours after the quake occurred. Earlier, the USGS noted aftershocks reaching up to 5 in magnitude, while Indonesia’s meteorology agency, BMKG, reported tsunami waves measuring 0.3 meters in West Halmahera and 0.2 meters in Bitung. Authorities in some areas, including Ternate and Tidore, were advised to prepare for possible evacuations. The earthquake occurred at 6:48 AM local time, with a depth of 35 kilometers in the Molucca Sea, and its epicenter was located about 120 kilometers from Ternate, which has a population exceeding 200,000, according to the USGS.