Strong earthquake in Indonesia sparks minor tsunami, damage reported

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An earthquake in Indonesian waters set off small tsunami waves Thursday morning, killing at least one person and damaging houses and buildings, officials said. The 7.4 magnitude earthquake was centred in the Molucca Sea at a depth of 35 km, the US Geological Survey said.

Tsunami waves were recorded at several monitoring stations less than half-an-hour later, including in Bitung with a height of 8 inches and in West Halmahera with a height of a foot, according to Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said waves of 2 inches were recorded in Davao in the southern Philippines, but there was no threat for more distant areas about three hours after the quake.

Strong shaking lasting 10 to 20 seconds was felt in Bitung, a coastal city in North Sulawesi province, and surrounding areas, as well as in Ternate city in neighbouring North Maluku province, according to Indonesia's Disaster Management Agency. Initial assessments showed light to moderate damage in parts of Ternate, where local disaster officials reported that one church in the Batang Dua Island district was affected and two houses were damaged in South Ternate. In Bitung, damage assessments were still underway, the agency said.

Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency reported a 70-year-old woman died in North Sulawesi's Minahasa district and another resident was injured. "At this stage, caution is still required, particularly for communities living along the coast," Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said in a statement. He urged residents not to return to beaches or coastal areas until authorities issue an official all-clear.

At least two aftershocks were recorded following the main quake, both offshore. Officials said neither aftershock had tsunami potential, though they were felt in affected areas. "We had just woken up and suddenly the earthquake hit... we all ran out of the house," Bitung resident Marten Mandagi said. "The shaking was very strong,"

Mandagi said he had not seen any damage in his area. "We're still checking whether there is damage or not. But here we are safe, there are no casualties or destruction," he said. Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 280 million people, sits on major seismic faults and is frequently hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

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