A 7.4-magnitude undersea earthquake toppled buildings in parts of northern Indonesia, sent people fleeing their homes, killed at least one person and triggered a small tsunami on Thursday.
Residents felt strong tremors that lasted between 10 and 20 seconds in Bitung in North Sulawesi province as well as in the city of Ternate in neighboring North Maluku province, according to the disaster management agency.
The two provinces border the Molucca Sea, where the epicenter of the earthquake occurred.
Initial assessments showed minor to severe damage to parts of Ternate, including a church and two houses.
Damage assessments are still underway in Betong, the agency said.
“We had just woken up and suddenly the earthquake happened… We all ran out of the house,” said Bitung resident Martin Mandagi. “The shaking was very strong”
A 70-year-old woman died in a building collapse in the North Sulawesi city of Manado and another resident was injured, the Indonesian search and rescue agency reported.
At least three wounded were taken to hospital in Ternate.
Video clips published by the rescue agency showed destroyed structures and flattened homes, while television stations broadcast scenes of people rushing outside and gathering in the streets to avoid the danger of collapsing buildings.
Dozens of aftershocks followed, including one measuring 6.2.
The authorities continue to collect information on damage and potential victims from multiple areas, especially remote villages, while working to assess the scope of the disaster.
Tsunami waves up to 30 inches above normal tidal level have been recorded at several monitoring stations around the Molucca Sea coast.
The Indonesian Meteorological Agency raised its tsunami warning hours after the quake, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said there was no devastating threat to the country, which lies north of the epicenter.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago with more than 280 million people, is located on large seismic faults and is frequently exposed to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.