A 7.3-magnitude earthquake has triggered a tsunami warning for Indonesia

Indonesia An underwater earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck this Tuesday the coast of Flores Island in Indonesia The country’s meteorological agency has warned of the possibility of waves tsunami.

indonesian meteorological departmentBMKG) noted that there was a danger that waves would hit the northern coast of Flores up to about 10 feet.

according to him United States Geological SurveyThe earthquake occurred at a depth of 11.5 miles below sea level and its epicenter was located 74 miles north of Momiri, the second largest city on the island located in East Nusa Tenggara Province.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii later issued a regional tsunami warning.

Spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, Abdul Mahari |, he said that residents of the area noticed a strong earthquake. Television footage showed people rushing out of the buildings that were shaken by the impact.

“There is no information on the damage yet. But the rapid response team is working on gathering information.”Mahari said.

President of Flores Timor District, Anton HayonNo damage was reported, he said.

“We are asking people in coastal areas to stay away from the beach, especially on the north side (…) as there was a big tsunami there in 1972.”Hyun said.

He added that the residents participated in the tsunami exercises and know what to do.

Indonesia, a massive archipelago of 270 million people, is prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis due to its location on the “Ring of Fire,” a series of volcanoes and seismic faults in the Pacific Ocean.

Indonesia was hit by a devastating 9.1-magnitude earthquake in 2004 off the coast of Sumatra, which caused a tsunami that left 220,000 people dead in the region, of whom 170,000 were in the archipelago.

The last major earthquake was recorded in Indonesia in January, killing at least 105 people and injuring more than 6,500 in West Sulawesi province.

In September 2018, around 4,340 people were killed and about 5,000 reported missing following a powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake that triggered a tsunami and liquefied soil in part of the island of Sulawesi.

Three months later, a tsunami left more than 430 people dead in the coastal populations of Java and Sumatra when part of the Anak Krakatau volcano, between the two islands, collapsed after a powerful volcanic eruption.