N. Maluku earthquake damages 48 houses

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake which hit Maluku last Thursday (July 26), damaged 48 houses in Galela and Loloda, North Halmahera District and injured one person, a local official said.

In Galela, 20 houses were damaged and one resident was wounded, while in Loloda, 28 houses were damaged, Secretary of the North Halmahera Disaster Mitigation Service Hamsyir Adam said here on Saturday.

The earthquake`s epicenter was located 236 km south of Ternate city, at a depth of 62 km below sea-level of Morotai Island water.

The strong quake did not trigger a subsequent tsunami because its epicenter was located quite deep under the sea. If the depth was less than 30 km, it might likely trigger a tsunami, Adam said.

Adam said that his office was still collecting data on some more possible damaged buildings and infrastructures.

A number of local residents who had evacuated to higher grounds in an anticipation of possible tsunami, had returned to their respective homes, he said.

Indonesia sits on the seismically active "Pacific Ring of Fire" and experiences frequent earthquakes as well as tsunamis triggered by underwater earthquakes.

On December 26, 2004, Aceh province and Nias Island (North Sumatra province) were devastated by a massive earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale and a subsequent deadly tsunami which killed at least 170,000 people. (*)