8-11-2023 (JAKARTA) A significant earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Maluku province on Wednesday evening, according to the country’s meteorology agency.
The magnitude 6.8 undersea tremor occurred at 8:02pm local time, just a few hours after a 7.1 magnitude quake hit the region earlier in the day. The epicentre of the aftershock was located approximately 244km northwest of Tanimbar Islands at a depth of 40km below the seabed.
Preliminary reports indicate the aftershock was felt most strongly in the town of Saumlaki on Timor island and parts of the surrounding Banda Sea. Local authorities classified the intensity as level III on the modified Mercalli scale.
So far, no damage or casualties have been linked to the aftershock. However, residents would have no doubt been unsettled by the additional seismic activity so soon after the bigger quake.
According to Indonesia’s meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency, around 23 aftershocks of mostly moderate strength have rippled across the province in the wake of the two large earthquakes.
Reassuringly, no tsunami warning was issued for either event. Agency officials judged that the tremors were insufficient to generate destructive ocean waves. The remote offshore location of the epicentres also helped minimise onshore impacts.
Sandhy Luhulima, chief of Maluku’s disaster mitigation unit, told media there have been no reports of impacts requiring an emergency response thus far. Monitoring and inspections of vulnerable areas will continue as aftershocks are stillpossible.
