Powerful 7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Eastern Indonesia, Tsunami Warning Lifted
At least one fatality reported in North Sulawesi; small tsunami waves detected across several coastal areas
JAKARTA — April 2, 2026 — A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Indonesia on Thursday, April 2, killing at least one person and causing minor tsunami waves, authorities said, before the country’s meteorological agency lifted the tsunami warning after monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported the earthquake occurred at 5:48 a.m. local time at a depth of approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles) in the Molucca Sea, between the Sulawesi and Maluku island groups . The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded the quake at magnitude 7.6 with an epicenter 129 kilometers southeast of Bitung, North Sulawesi, at a depth of 33 kilometers .
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Strong tremors lasting from 10 to 20 seconds were felt in the coastal city of Bitung and surrounding areas in North Sulawesi province, as well as in Ternate city in the neighboring North Maluku province . The earthquake was felt strongly in Ternate at V–VI on the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, in Manado at IV–V MMI, and as far as Gorontalo at III MMI .
Tsunami Waves Detected, Warning Lifted
BMKG initially issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of North Sulawesi and North Maluku, with potential wave heights estimated between 0.5 and 3 meters . Monitoring stations detected small tsunamis at several locations less than half an hour after the earthquake .
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According to BMKG and the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), tsunami waves were recorded at the following locations :
- North Minahasa: 0.75 meters (6:18 a.m. local time)
- Belang, Southeast Minahasa: 0.68 meters (6:36 a.m.)
- Sidangoli, North Halmahera: 0.35 meters (6:16 a.m.)
- West Halmahera: 0.30 meters (6:08 a.m.)
- Bitung, North Sulawesi: 0.20 meters (6:15 a.m.)
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Honolulu had initially warned that hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 1,000 kilometers of the epicenter along the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia . The PTWC lifted its warning just over two hours after the tremor, stating the tsunami threat “has now passed” .
BMKG officially canceled the tsunami warning by mid-morning, confirming that monitoring showed no significant sea-level changes that would warrant continued concern .
Casualties and Damage
The Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency reported that a 70-year-old woman died in Minahasa district, North Sulawesi, when a building collapsed . One other person sustained a leg injury, according to local search and rescue official George Leo Mercy Randang, who spoke to AFP .
“We had just woken up when the earthquake struck… everyone ran out of their houses. It was shaking very strongly,” recounted Marten Mandagi, a resident of Bitung .
In Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province approximately 300 kilometers west of Ternate by sea, an AFP journalist reported that the shaking woke him and others in the city of around 450,000 people . “I immediately woke up and left my house. People (were) immediately scrambling outside. There is a school and the pupils rushed outside,” he said .
Initial damage assessments indicate that some areas in Ternate suffered light to moderate damage, including a church on Batang Dua island and two houses in South Ternate that were damaged . In Bitung, damage assessment was still underway, according to authorities .
Aftershocks
BMKG reported that as of 9:50 a.m. Western Indonesia Time, monitoring had detected 48 aftershocks, with magnitudes ranging between 3.0 and 5.5 . At least two of these aftershocks were felt in affected areas. Officials stated that none of the aftershocks were likely to cause a tsunami .
Later on Thursday evening, a magnitude 5.7 aftershock struck off Jailolo in West Halmahera at 9:34 p.m. local time, at a depth of 10 kilometers, with tremors felt in Ternate .
Official Response and Warnings
Abdul Muhari, spokesman for Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), urged residents to remain vigilant and avoid returning to beaches or coastal areas until an official safety announcement is made by authorities .
“At this stage, people still need to be extremely vigilant, especially those living in coastal communities,” Muhari said .
Teuku Faisal Fathani, head of BMKG, explained that the earthquake was a shallow event caused by crustal deformation activity due to the subduction of the Maluku Sea plate, with a thrust fault mechanism .
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had also noted that waves up to 5 centimeters high were recorded in Davao, southern Philippines, about three hours after the earthquake, but posed no threat to more distant areas .
Regional Context
Indonesia and neighboring countries experience frequent earthquakes due to their location in the Pacific “Ring of Fire”—an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide, stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin .
In 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck Aceh province, causing a massive tsunami that killed more than 170,000 people in Indonesia .
As of Thursday evening, assessment teams continued to survey affected areas, and authorities warned residents to remain cautious as aftershocks remain possible in the coming days.
SOURCES / INPUTS
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