7.3 magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia
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A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia with brief warnings of tsunamis.
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Residents inspecting earthquake-damaged buildings in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, on January 15, 2021 (AP)
A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Tuesday, which triggered a tsunami warning, according to the meteorological department.
The earthquake struck north of the island of Flores in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province at 3:20 am GMT.
The earthquake did not result in any significant damage or deaths - not immediately - but authorities urged caution.
The Indonesian authorities urged the residents of affected areas not to panic, calling on them to seek a safe location away from shore due to the hazardous tsunami warnings.
Tsunami warnings had been issued for the areas of Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, and Southeast and South Sulawesi.
The US Geological Survey later said the quake had a magnitude of 7.3, and the Indonesian agency said an aftershock of 5.6 magnitude quaked Larantuka.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center assured that the quake had no longer posed a threat of tsunamis after earlier warning that such waves were possible within a 1,000 km radius of the epicenter.
Indonesia falls in the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is an area distinguished by high seismic activity, resting on top of multiple tectonic plates.
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The Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire
The Southeastern Asian country has been hit by a series of natural disasters that took the lives of thousands, from the 2018 earthquake that struck Lombok and killed 550 people to the subsequent Tsunami in Palu that claimed the lives of more than 4,300 people.
Indonesia was also hit by a volcanic eruption on December 4, when the Mount Semeru volcano erupted on Java island, taking the lives of at least 48 people.
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