Hundreds of Houses Damaged Due to Earthquake in North Maluku

The Ternate city government has recorded at least 282 homes and places of worship damaged due to a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Batang Dua, North Maluku, on Thursday, 2 April 2026, around 07:48 WIT.

Ternate Mayor Tauhid Soleman stated that, based on reports received, the majority of properties damaged by the earthquake were residents’ homes located on Batang Dua Island, an area not far from the epicentre. In this sub-district, at least 273 residents’ homes were damaged, ranging from severe to moderate and minor categories.

“Meanwhile, nine places of worship have also sustained damage. The Ternate city disaster management team is already in the field to monitor the impact of this earthquake,” Tauhid said on Friday, 3 April 2026.

In handling the earthquake’s aftermath, he said, the local government has taken several swift steps. One of them is declaring a post-earthquake emergency status after the event. The government has also distributed humanitarian logistics aid five hours after the incident occurred.

“The aid distributed includes basic necessities and emergency supplies. That same day, we distributed logistics, especially in the Batang Dua island area,” Tauhid stated.

Head of the Ternate Disaster Management Task Force Rizal Marsaoly said that in handling the magnitude 7.6 earthquake disaster off Batang Dua, his team has deployed at least 100 personnel to distribute aid to six villages in the Batang Dua sub-district.

“We have also deployed medical teams to assist in checking the health of residents affected by the earthquake. We have also recorded the extent of damage due to the quake. For now, I and the team are still in the field,” Rizal said.

Previously, the magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook Ternate and Tidore. The epicentre, located at coordinates 1.25 North Latitude – 126.27 East Longitude with a depth of 62 kilometres, caused panic among residents. The quake was reported to have been felt in Ternate City, Tidore Islands City, Sofifi City in North Maluku, and Bitung, Manado, and Minahasa in North Sulawesi.