North Maluku offshore earthquake shakes eastern Indonesia without triggering tsunami warning
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck offshore North Maluku on 3 July, with tremors felt across eastern Indonesia. Authorities issued no tsunami warning and reported no immediate casualties, damage or aftershocks.
- A magnitude 6.2 offshore earthquake struck near Doi Island in North Maluku on 3 July.
- BMKG confirmed the earthquake posed no tsunami threat and detected no immediate aftershocks.
- Tremors were felt across North Maluku and parts of neighbouring Sulawesi without reported major damage.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck off the coast of North Maluku in eastern Indonesia on Friday morning, causing tremors to be felt across several provinces but prompting no tsunami warning, according to the country's meteorological agency.
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said the earthquake occurred at 9:31am Western Indonesia Time (WIB) on 3 July.
The epicentre was located in the sea approximately 56 to 58 kilometres south-west of Doi Island in West Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province.
BMKG's latest analysis placed the earthquake at a depth of 104 kilometres, with coordinates of 1.93 degrees North Latitude and 127.42 degrees East Longitude.
"BMKG's analysis shows that this earthquake has updated parameters of magnitude 6.2 at a depth of 104 kilometres. The epicentre was located offshore, around 56 kilometres south-west of Doi Island, West Halmahera, North Maluku," BMKG Director for Earthquakes and Tsunamis Wijayanto said in a statement.
The agency confirmed that the earthquake did not have the potential to generate a tsunami.
Tremors felt across several regions
Residents across parts of North Maluku reported feeling strong shaking as the earthquake struck during the morning.
In West Halmahera, residents said they were startled by the tremors while carrying out their daily activities.
According to BMKG, the strongest shaking was recorded in North Halmahera, where the intensity reached levels III-IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale. At that level, shaking is strong enough to cause windows and doors to rattle and can prompt people indoors to move outside.
Residents in the cities of Ternate and Tidore, as well as the islands of Sanana and Morotai, experienced shaking at intensity III MMI.
The tremors were also felt further afield in Manado, Gorontalo City, North Gorontalo and Bone Bolango in neighbouring Sulawesi, where the intensity was recorded at II-III MMI.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage following the earthquake.
No aftershocks detected
BMKG said that as of 9:50am WIB, approximately 20 minutes after the earthquake struck, no aftershocks had been detected.
The agency nevertheless urged residents to remain vigilant while avoiding panic and to disregard unverified information circulating through unofficial channels.
Authorities also advised residents to stay away from buildings that may have sustained damage or developed cracks during the earthquake until they have been inspected and declared safe.
BMKG called on the public to follow updates only through its official communication platforms, including its website, social media channels, the InfoBMKG mobile application and the WRS-BMKG information system.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active region where several tectonic plates meet, making earthquakes and volcanic activity common throughout the archipelago. Friday's earthquake was one of the stronger tremors recorded in eastern Indonesia in recent months, although authorities reported no tsunami threat and no immediate signs of major damage.
