Residents Urged to Avoid Beaches Following 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake; Sangihe Residents Evacuate
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has issued a firm warning for communities in five coastal regions to immediately avoid beach areas following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that shook the North Sulawesi Sea on Monday morning (8/6/2026). The five regions included in the warning zone are North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi, North Maluku, and East Kalimantan. The BNPB has requested that citizens remain calm but vigilant against the potential threat of a tsunami.
The Head of the BNPB Centre for Data, Information, and Disaster Communication, Abdul Muhari, stated that cross-agency coordination has been strengthened to monitor the situation on the ground. “Communities in alert areas should immediately move away from coastal areas and riverbanks, and temporarily cease all activities in waters,” Abdul Muhamente stated in a written release. Joint teams from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), TNI, Polri, Basarnas, and humanitarian volunteers are conducting regular monitoring along the coastline to ensure public safety.
The BNPB also emphasised the importance of prioritising the safety of vulnerable groups, urging the public not to panic and to prioritise the elderly, people with disabilities, and children. Based on initial data, the 7.7 magnitude earthquake occurred at 07:37 WITA at a depth of 47 kilometres. The epicentre was located northwest of Karatung Island, North Sulawesi, or within the Mindanao sector, Philippines. The location and magnitude of the earthquake are considered potential triggers for tsunami waves in several Indonesian coastal areas.
Residents are advised to continuously monitor information updates through the official channels of BMKG and BNPB to avoid the spread of hoaxes following the disaster. Meanwhile, residents in the Sangihe Islands, North Sulawesi, have evacuated to higher ground following the earthquake. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) confirmed that tsunami waves resulting from the earthquake in Mindanao, Philippines, have been detected in three locations in Indonesia, with minor waves of up to 0.19 metres recorded in Melonguane, Ulu Siau, and Kedi.