The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said that a 7.6 magnitude submarine earthquake occurred in Indonesia on Tuesday, and the country’s meteorological department issued a tsunami warning.

The Indonesian authorities estimated the earthquake to be 7.5 magnitude and hit the East Nusa Tenggara area in the Flores Sea.

On the other hand, the Euro-Mediterranean Seismic Center has an estimated magnitude of 7.7 and an earthquake depth of 5 kilometers.

The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also stated that “dangerous” tsunami waves may appear on the coast within 1,000 kilometers of the epicenter of the Indonesian earthquake.

The U.S. Geological Survey pointed out that due to an undersea earthquake, the probability of causing casualties is very low, but emphasized that “the recent earthquake in the area has caused secondary disasters such as tsunamis and landslides, which may cause losses.”

Due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, Indonesia frequently experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. This is an arc of strong seismic activity, where tectonic plates collide, extending from Japan to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin. A devastating 9.1-magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami near the coast of Sumatra in 2004, killing 220,000 people in the area, including approximately 170,000 in Indonesia. It is still widely regarded as one of the deadliest natural disasters in history.

In 2018, another major earthquake shook Lombok. In the following weeks, several earthquakes occurred, killing more than 550 people on the resort island and neighboring Sumbawa Island.

In the same year, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami occurred in Palu on the island of Sulawesi, causing more than 4,300 deaths or missing.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times