Indonesia says magnitude 7 quake off Sulawesi, residents flee buildings

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A powerful magnitude 7 earthquake struck off Indonesia’s North Sulawesi province on Wednesday, January 18, the country’s geophysics agency said, adding that there was no tsunami potential.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, however, warned in a bulletin that there was a risk of tsunami waves located within 300 kilometers of the epicenter.

The Indonesian agency said with the quake’s epicenter was at a depth of 64 kilometers (39.77 miles), 141 kilometers southeast of the town of Melonguane.

A resident in the city of Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi, said by telephone that the quake was felt very strongly for several seconds and people were seen running out of buildings.

However, the resident said, so far, no visible damage had been seen and some people had returned to their homes.

The quake was also felt in the Maluku islands, the local disaster agency added.

Indonesia rests atop the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire,” making it one of the most seismically active regions in the world, experiencing frequent earthquakes. – Rappler.com