Natural Disasters — 2026-04-02
Magnitude 7.6 Earthquake Strikes Eastern Indonesia, Triggers Tsunami Waves
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia near Ternate in North Maluku province at 7:48 AM local time on April 2, killing at least one person and triggering tsunami waves up to 0.75 meters at five coastal locations. Buildings were damaged in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province. Initial warnings projected waves up to 3 meters, prompting evacuations across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia before being lifted. Eleven aftershocks followed, the strongest at magnitude 5.5.
Analysis
The 7.6 magnitude and tsunami activation test Indonesia's disaster response capacity near the Molucca Sea's most active seismic zone. Location and depth profile raise the probability of significant aftershocks in the coming days.
3 sources
- Earthquake off Indonesia topples buildings, kills 1 person and sets off small tsunami - Washington Post
- Indonesia earthquake damages buildings, triggers tsunami waves - CNBC
- Magnitude 7.6 earthquake off Indonesia prompts tsunami alert - Japan Times
View in full brief →