Rescuers search for victims under debris after the quake in Mamuju, West Sulawesi of Indosia (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – An earthquakemeasuring 7.1 magnitudes on the Richter scale struck North Sulawesi on January21, reported the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
The quake occurred at around 7:23 pm (localtime). Reports said that the epicentre was detected 134 kilometres northeast ofMelonguane, Talaud Islands.
Despite the powerful magnitude, the agencynoted the quake had no potential to trigger a tsunami. No physical damage wasreported.
The same day, an offshore earthquake with apreliminary magnitude of 7.1 jolted Davao Occidental province in the southernPhilippines, the country’s Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs)said.
The institute said the quake, which struckat 8:23 pm (local time), hit at a depth of 116 km, about 231 km southeast ofJose Abad Santos town.
The quake will triggeraftershocks but will not cause damage, the institute added, noting that the tremor was also felt in General Santos city,Davao city and Bislig city in Surigao del Sur province.
Phivolcs said no tsunami warning was issuedfollowing the quake.
Both Indonesia and the Philippines hasfrequent seismic activity due to their location along the Pacific "Ring ofFire."
A devastating 9.1-magnitude quake struckoff the coast of Sumatra in December 2004, triggering a tsunami that killed220,000 throughout the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.
On January 15, 2021, a quake of 6.2magnitude claimed more than 90 lives and injured over 820 people in Majenedistrict and coastal city Mamuju of West Sulawesi province. About 28,000 peoplewere displaced./.
