A powerful earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Thursday, killing at least one person and triggering tsunami fears across the region, Al Jazeera reports.
The quake, measured at magnitude 7.4, hit the Northern Molucca Sea near the city of Ternate at a depth of about 35 kilometres. It was initially recorded as stronger before being revised.
The epicentre was located roughly 120 kilometres from Ternate, and the tremor was felt widely across nearby islands.
Residents described a long and powerful shaking. In some areas, it lasted more than a minute, sending people running outdoors in fear as buildings swayed. Authorities in cities including Ternate and Tidore urged people to prepare for possible evacuation.
In the city of Manado, one person died when a building collapsed and another suffered injuries after being trapped under rubble, NDTV reports.
Tsunami warnings were issued shortly after the quake. Waves of up to 75 centimetres were recorded in North Sulawesi, while smaller waves were observed in other coastal areas, CNBC reports. Indonesian authorities warned that waves between 0.5 and 3 metres were possible and urged residents to remain alert.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned of hazardous waves within a 1,000-kilometre radius, including coastlines in the Philippines and Malaysia. The alert was later lifted after around two hours when the threat subsided and no major tsunami developed.
The earthquake was followed by at least 11 aftershocks, the strongest measuring magnitude 5.5.
