A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia’s Sulawesi island early Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. No immediate damage or casualties were reported.
The quake occurred at 6:55 am local time (2255 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles), with its epicentre offshore near North Sulawesi province, according to USGS data. Indonesia’s meteorological agency recorded a slightly lower magnitude of 6.0 and confirmed that the tremor posed no tsunami risk.
Indonesia, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” frequently experiences earthquakes due to intense seismic activity caused by tectonic plate movements.
The Sulawesi region has seen devastating quakes in the past. In January 2021, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake killed over 100 people and displaced thousands. In 2018, a powerful 7.5-magnitude quake and tsunami in Palu resulted in more than 2,200 deaths. The deadliest quake in Indonesia’s recent history was the 2004 magnitude-9.1 disaster in Aceh, which triggered a tsunami and claimed over 170,000 lives.