Indonesia issued a tsunami warning for almost three hours after a powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Tanimbar islands, but no significant changes in sea level were recorded and the warning has been lifted.
At least four aftershocks were reported after Tuesday’s quake that was also felt in Darwin and other parts of northern Australia, with initial reports by Indonesia’s disaster agency indicating mainly light to medium damage to buildings, officials said.
The quake, locally measured as magnitude 7.5, struck at a depth of 130km at 2.47am local time, the country’s geophysics agency BMKG said. The tsunami warning was lifted at 5.43am.
“Based on our observation of four tide gauges around the earthquake’s epicentre … there was no anomaly detected or no significant changes of sea level,” BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati told a news conference, advising people who lived near the coast to continue with their activities.
Residents in Darwin and other Top End locations reported “violent” shaking for more than two minutes, with many rushing outside after they were jolted awake early on Tuesday.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) recorded the magnitude of the quake as 7.6, after initially reporting it as 7.7. The US Geological Survey also pegged it as a 7.6 magnitude.
There were four aftershocks with the strongest recorded at 5.5 magnitude, BMKG said.
Indonesia’s disaster agency officials were still checking for the full extent of the quake’s impact.
News website Liputan6.com reported houses in Saumlaki town in Yamdena island were badly damaged.
© RAW 2023
