M 7.7 Earthquake Shakes Celebes Sea with Tsunami Potential; BNPB Warns Coastal Residents
A tectonic earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 struck the Celebes Sea on Monday, 8 June 2026, at 06:37 WIB, with its epicentre located at a depth of 47 kilometres northwest of Karatung Island, North Sulawesi. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued an updated tsunami early warning for the coastal regions of North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi, and North Maluku, including East Kalimantan.
In response to the tsunami warning, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has issued several directives for communities in the five affected coastal regions. “Communities in these five coastal areas should remain calm, increase full vigilance, and consciously and orderly carry out self-anticipatory measures by moving away from coastal areas towards safe assembly points according to the threat level in their region,” stated Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Centre, on Monday.
Based on BMKG’s tsunami impact modelling, local governments at the provincial, regency, and city levels under ‘Alert’ status have been instructed to immediately direct their citizens to conduct orderly evacuations to higher ground. The ‘Alert’ status covers several points in North Sulawesi, with estimated wave arrival times ranging from the Sangihe Islands at 06:51 WIB, Manado at 07:12 WIB, North Minahasa at 07:12 WIB, North Minahasa at 07:14 WIB, Minahasa Islands at 07:16 WIB, North South Minahasa at 07:17 WIB, to North Bolaang Mongondow at 07:22 WIB.
Additionally, the ‘Alert’ status applies to Northern Gorontalo with an estimated arrival time of 07:26 WIB, followed by Central Sulawesi regions including Buol at 07:27 WIB and Toli-Toli at 07:29 WIB, before returning to North Sulawesi for South North Minahasa at 07:33 WIB and South Minahasa at 07:34 WIB. Meanwhile, for local governments and communities in areas under ‘Watch’ status, the BNPB has requested that preparedness be maintained by immediately directing residents to stay away from coastal areas and riverbanks, and to temporarily suspend all maritime activities.