On Wednesday, a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake rattled Indonesia’s Banda Sea, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Fortunately, there have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties resulting from the earthquake.
The USGS clarified that there was no tsunami warning issued for the quake, which was initially reported as a magnitude 6.9. The seismic event occurred at 11:53 a.m. local time (0453 GMT).
The Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency reported that the tremor was moderately felt in the town of Saumlaki in the Tanimbar Islands. Lambert Tatang, a resident of Saumlaki, described the earthquake as quite intense but mentioned that people in the area were not panicking. He explained, “We are used to having earthquakes, especially after we learned that there was no tsunami threat, so life is just normal now.”
Indonesia is no stranger to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area known for its high seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
This recent earthquake is a reminder of the country’s vulnerability to seismic events. In November 2022, a 5.6-magnitude quake struck the populous West Java province, resulting in the tragic loss of 602 lives. In 2004, a devastating 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that claimed the lives of approximately 220,000 people across the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.