Small tsunami hits eastern Indonesia

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Saturday November 15 2014


A small tsunami hit several regions in eastern Indonesia on Saturday afternoon, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said.

"A low tsunami hit Jailolo [West Halmahera regency, North Maluku] at 9:43 a.m. local time [8:43 a.m. Jakarta time] at a height of 0.09 meters. While in Manado [North Sulawesi] the tsunami occurred at 9:55 a.m. local time, at 0.03 meters," BNPB chief spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho was reported as saying by Antara news agency.

Sutopo added that the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) revoked the early tsunami warning it had issued after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake occurred at 9:31 a.m. local time on Saturday.

"We received information on the revocation of the early warning at 12:45 p.m. local time," he noted.

The North Maluku Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPD) is still recording the impact of the earthquake in the region.

"The tsunami was not seen on the beach and the situation among local people is still normal. After the warning was recalled, people went back to their everyday activities," Sutopo affirmed.

The epicenter of the quake that rocked northern Sulawesi and Maluku provinces was located in the sea at a depth of 48 kilometers, with a latitude of 1.95 degrees north and longitude of 126.46 degrees east.



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