ALBAWABA – Tsunami warnings were issued in various parts of Indonesia following a strong earthquake that jolted the area on Wednesday.
The quake, with a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale, struck the Indonesian archipelago, specifically Indonesia's North Sulawesi province at around 13:06 local time.
A strong earthquake shook eastern Indonesia on Wednesday, with no damage immediately reported and no tsunami warning issued.https://t.co/R97jacgk8y
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Indonesia's geophysics agency said the quake's epicenter was at a depth of 64 kilometers, and 141 kilometers southeast of the town of Melonguane.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that there is a possibility of tsunami waves for coasts located within 300 kilometers from the epicenter.
Despite the center's warning, the geophysics agency dismissed the possibility of a tsunami. But fear still grips the people of the area, who took to the streets when the quake rattled the area.
According to circulating news, due to the intensity of the earthquake, it was also felt by the residents of neighboring areas.
Contrary to expectations, no injuries, deaths or serious damage to buildings were reported.
On Monday, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra too. The epicenter was about 48 kilometers southeast of the city of Singkil in the Indonesian province of Aceh, at a depth of 37 kilometers.
Indonesia is situated on the "Ring of Fire" in the Pacific Ocean, where many quakes occur in the region from time to time, ranging in strength from light to strong. This happens due to the convergence of large tectonic plates in the region, amid frequent warnings of tsunamis following the quakes.
According to records by the U.S. Geological Survey, Indonesia experienced more than 150 earthquakes of a destructive magnitude of 7 in the period between 1901 and 2019.
