The quake struck around 100 kilometres north of the town of Maumere at a depth of 18.5 kilometres in the Flores Sea
Representational image. Firstpost
A very powerful earthquake, measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale, rocked the Flores Sea in southern Indonesia, prompting tsunami alerts for nearby coastlines.
The US Geological Survey said the quake struck around 100 kilometres north of the town of Maumere at a depth of 18.5 kilometres (11 miles) in the Flores Sea at 0320 GMT.
As per AFP reports, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said “hazardous waves are possible for coasts located within 1,000 km (600 miles) of the quake epicentre”.
As of now, there are no reports of any casualties or damage, but officials have asked people to stay away from the beach. But no evacuations have been ordered so far.
Indonesia is on the so-called ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes.
A 9.1-magnitude earthquake, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, struck off the west coast of Sumatra in December 2004, causing a massive tsunami that struck countries across the Pacific Ocean. At least 227,898 people were killed.
Similarly, in September 2018 more than 4,000 people died and thousands others were injured after after a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit the Sulawesi island.
In January of 2021, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, struck the Majene Regency in the province of West Sulawesi, on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Officials estimated that the earthquake caused damages amounting to Rp829.1 billion rupiah.
At least 108 people were confirmed dead and more than 3,300 were injured, while thousands of residents were displaced due to the quake. An aftershock struck on 3 February 2021, killing a man and causing further damage.
With inputs from agencies
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