Post-Earthquake: Basarnas Manado Reports Severe Building Damage, No Fatalities
Residents across almost the entire North Sulawesi region were shocked by a massive 7.7 magnitude tectonic earthquake on Monday morning. The intense tremors triggered mass panic, forcing citizens in various cities and regencies to flee their homes to seek safety.
According to data from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the earthquake’s epicentre was located at sea at coordinates 5.69°N and 125.05°E. This location is approximately 236 kilometres northwest of Tahuna, Sangihe Islands, with an intermediate depth of 105 kilometres.
In response to the emergency, the Manado Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas) acted swiftly by activating emergency coordination posts. This initiative was carried out simultaneously with the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) across the six most significantly affected areas.
“We observed that almost all regions felt the tremors. The community was quite prompt in performing self-evacuations to open fields and higher ground,” said the Head of the Manado Search and Rescue Office, George Mercy Randang.
As of the time of this report, reports of building damage have begun to arrive, particularly from the island regions. The powerful tremors have caused dozens of buildings, ranging from residential houses and public facilities to places of worship, to suffer damage ranging from cracks to severe destruction.
Despite the massive material damage, George Mercy Randang confirmed that, so far, no reports of fatalities have been found.
“Our main focus at this time is to monitor the impact, identify the locations of damage, and prepare resources for potential search and rescue operations,” he added.
Currently, joint teams from Basarnas, the TNI (Indonesian National Armed Forces), the Polri (Indonesian National Police), and local governments remain on full alert in the field. Intensive data verification regarding the damage is ongoing to ensure that subsequent handling measures are precisely targeted.