<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=192888919167017&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Thursday, March 28, 2024
March 28, 2024

Linkedin Pinterest

7.1 quake hits Indonesia waters; tsunami minimal

The Columbian
Published: November 15, 2014, 12:00am

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A strong undersea earthquake hit eastern Indonesia today, triggering a small tsunami and some panic but no casualties or major damage.

The 7.1 quake occurred west of Halmahera island, which is about four hours’ flight from the capital, Jakarta.

The earthquake had an initial magnitude of 7.3 but was downgraded slightly by the United States Geological Survey.

Indonesia’s meteorological agency said a tsunami wave of 3.54 inches washed onto the small island of Jailolo but caused no damage. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later lifted its advisory for potential hazardous waves for coastal communities.

The quake was strongly felt in several cities in eastern Indonesia, sending many people to run from homes and other buildings, officials and residents said. The world’s largest archipelago, Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

In 2004, a monster quake off the tip of Sumatra Island triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

Loading...