27 houses and two churches damaged in North Sulawesi earthquake
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has recorded that 27 residential houses and two churches in North Sulawesi Province were damaged following a 7.7 magnitude tectonic earthquake on Monday morning.
Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB Centre for Data, Information, and Disaster Communication, stated in Jakarta on Monday that preliminary data as of 12:30 WIB shows the earthquake’s impact is spread across two island regions. “A total of 27 heads of households are affected, consisting of 20 households in the Sangihe Islands Regency and seven households in the Talaud Islands Regency. Additionally, damage to 27 residential units has been recorded in these two areas,” he said.
The tremors also caused damage to public infrastructure in North Minahasa Regency, including two church buildings, one GMIM 76 building, one school, and one teacher’s official residence.
He explained that the strong earthquake, which lasted between 3 to 4 seconds, triggered panic among residents in the Sangihe Islands Regency, particularly in the Marore, Tabukan Tengah, Tabukan Selatan, Tabukan Selatan Tengah, Tahuna, and West Tahuna districts.
Abdul emphasised that all current impact data remains preliminary. Rapid response teams from the BPBD at both provincial and regency/city levels remain on standby in the field to continue a comprehensive assessment process.
Although the tsunami early warning has expired and coastal communities are confirmed to be safe from the threat of sea waves, the BNPB continues to urge residents to increase vigilance regarding potential structural hazards to buildings caused by aftershocks.
“Residents whose houses have been damaged are expected to remain cautious and report any building conditions that pose a potential danger to local authorities,” he said. He also requested that the public remain calm, ignore unverified speculative information, and always refer to periodic data updates from the official communication channels of BMKG, BNPMB, and local governments.