A huge earthquake occurred across multiple countries

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A 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit the coast near Indonesia in the early hours of Tuesday morning local time, sending tremors as far as northern Australia.

The epicenter of the earthquake hit off the coast of the Tanimbar Islands in Indonesia, between East Timor and Papua, at a depth of 105 kilometers, according to the US Geological Survey. Residents rushed to flee their homes as a tsunami warning was issued, but it was lifted three hours later, according to Reuters.

Initial reports from Indonesia’s disaster agency indicate that at least 15 homes and two school buildings were damaged by the quake and four large aftershocks, according to Reuters. One person was injured, but local residents were advised to continue their normal activities.

Notable earthquake, preliminary information: M 7.6 – Tanimbar Islands, Indonesia https://t.co/kRNGOMDcBV

— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) January 9, 2023

“Based on our observation of the four tide gauges around the epicenter… no significant sea level anomalies or changes were detected,” BMKG Geophysics Agency chief Dwikorita Karnawati told a news conference.

The New York Post reported that more than 1,000 people in Australia felt the shaking. (Related: Footage Shows How Extreme Weather Wreaked Havoc in Lake Tahoe State Park and Surrounding California Areas)

The Indonesian archipelago sits atop the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” an area where earthquakes and other geological activities are common due to tectonic plate movements along an important boundary, according to National Geographic.

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck the island of Java in November, killing more than 300 people, Reuters reported. Historically, the area was hit by a series of massive underwater earthquakes in 2004, which triggered two tsunamis that killed 160,000 people, roughly 5% of the local population, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

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