Asianet NewsableAsianet Newsable

7.3-magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia, triggers tsunami warning

Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, and Southeast and South Sulawesi have all received tsunami warnings.

7 dot 3 magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia triggers tsunami warning gcw
Author
Indonesia, First Published Dec 14, 2021, 1:06 PM IST

The US Geological Survey recorded a 7.3-magnitude earthquake in eastern Indonesia on Tuesday, with monitors warning of the possibility of hazardous tsunami waves. The quake happened roughly 100 kilometres north of Maumere at a depth of 18.5 kilometres (11 miles) in the Flores Sea around 0320 GMT, according to the USGS. "Dangerous waves are possible for coasts located within 1,000 km (600 miles) of the seismic epicentre," according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, and Southeast and South Sulawesi have all received tsunami warnings.

The USGS stated that the likelihood of mortality was minimal but that "previous earthquakes in this area have created secondary hazards such as tsunamis and landslides that may have contributed to losses." There were no early reports of damage, according to Alfons Hada Betan, director of the East Flores Disaster Mitigation Agency in Larantuka. The tremor was felt for many minutes as residents evacuated their houses. Many reported that the earthquake was felt powerfully in Makassar, South Sulawesi on social media.

Because of its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," Indonesia experiences regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The Ring of Fire is an arc of severe seismic activity where tectonic plates meet from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. Among Indonesia's worst quakes was a 9.1-magnitude tremor that occurred off the coast of Sumatra in 2004 and generated a tsunami that killed 220,000 people throughout the area, including around 170,000 in Indonesia. One of the deadliest natural disasters recorded in history was the Boxing Day tragedy.

Also Read | 'Biggest, longest-lasting marsquakes': NASA's InSight records 4.2 magnitude quake on Mars

A strong earthquake rocked the island of Lombok in 2018, and many additional shocks followed over the next several weeks, killing nearly 550 people on the vacation island and neighbouring Sumbawa. Later that year, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami in Palu, Sulawesi island, killed or went missing more than 4,300 people.

Follow Us:
Download App:
  • android
  • ios