Magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Indonesia's Molucca Sea sets off small tsunami
Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 280 million people, sits on major seismic faults and is frequently hit by earthquakes.
Updated on: April 1, 2026 / 9:22 PM EDT / AP
An earthquake in the Molucca Sea set off small tsunami waves in northern Indonesia, but no damage or casualties have been reported.
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit early Thursday local time and was centered 79 miles west-northwest of Ternate in North Maluku province at a depth of 22 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency issued a tsunami warning following the quake, though it said the threat level remained under close monitoring.
Tsunami waves were recorded at several monitoring stations less than half an hour later, including in Bitung with a height of 8 inches and in West Halmahera with a height of a foot.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said small waves were possible as well in Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea, but there was no threat to Hawaii, Guam and other more distant islands.