Earthquake hits Indonesia, ‘possible’ tsunami

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The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says the 7.3-magnitude earthquake could cause dangerous tsunami waves for coasts located 1,000 kilometers from the epicenter.

The US Geological Survey says the quake occurred 100 km north of Maumere. (Reuters)

Indonesia has issued a tsunami warning after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit its province in East Nusa Tenggara.

Tuesday’s quake struck about 100 km north of the town of Maumere at a depth of 18.5 km in the Flores Sea at 0320 GMT, the US Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that “dangerous waves are possible for coasts located within 1,000 km from the epicenter.”

The US Geological Survey said the chance of casualties was low, noting that “recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as tsunamis and landslides that may have contributed to the losses.”

Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Basin collide.

Read more: Death toll rises in Indonesia after earthquake and landslides in Sulawesi

# 7.5 tsunami hit Indonesia. Please pray for the people of #Indonesia #Tsunami #EarthquakePH #Earthquake pic.twitter.com/7KuNFLLjYV

– Max Lemmer (@Maxoulemire) December 14, 2021

deadly earthquakes

Among Indonesia’s deadly string of earthquakes, the devastating 9.1-magnitude earthquake in 2004 off the coast of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 people across the region, including about 170,000 in Indonesia.

The Boxing Day disaster was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.

In 2018, a strong earthquake rocked the island of Lombok and several more tremors followed over the next two weeks, killing more than 550 people on the holiday island of nearby Sumbawa.

Later that year, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Palu on the island of Sulawesi left more than 4,300 people dead or missing.

The last major earthquake was in January, with a magnitude of 6.2 and killing at least 105 people and injuring nearly 6,500 in West Sulawesi province.

Read more: Victims of the earthquake that struck Bali, Indonesia

Source: Agence France-Presse

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