M7.6 Earthquake Hits Bitung North Sulawesi: BMKG Issues Tsunami Warning

Illustration of an earthquake (ANTARA)

MANADO - An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 shook Bitung City, North Sulawesi, Thursday, April 2 at around 05.48 WIB. This earthquake is potentially capable of causing a tsunami wave.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that the earthquake location was at the coordinates of 1.25 degrees north latitude and 126.27 degrees east longitude.

The epicenter is located 129 kilometers southeast of Bitung with a depth of 62 km. BMKG issued a tsunami early warning due to the potential impact in several areas.

BMKG stated that this earthquake has the potential to cause a tsunami that could affect the North Maluku and North Sulawesi regions. People in coastal areas are urged to remain vigilant and follow up on further information from BMKG.

This earthquake was felt quite strongly in the areas around Bitung, Ternate, and other coastal areas. BMKG continues to monitor the situation and will provide further updates regarding the status of the potential tsunami.