Sangihe Residents Evacuate Following Tsunami Warning

A number of residents in the Sangihe Islands, North Sulawesi, have started evacuating to highland areas following a tsunami warning triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake off the coast of the southern Philippines on Monday morning.

“Many residents from Tidore, Tapuang, and coastal areas panicked due to the earthquake. They are now evacuating to Manganitu road, which is higher than the coastline, to avoid the potential tsunami,” said Jufry Dalita, a local resident, on Monday (8/6).

The BMKG recorded the earthquake’s epicentre at coordinates 5.80°N; 125.14°E, located in the sea approximately 244 km northwest of Karatung Island, North Sulawesi, at a depth of 47 km.

Jufry, who is also a civil servant within the Sangihe Islands Regency Government, urged residents to remain calm and avoid panic, advising those evacuating to ensure the safety of their family members. “The earthquake was very strongly felt in our island region, causing residents to rush out of their homes,” he added.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred at 06:37:42 WIB in the South Mindanao coast area of the Philippines, caused by plate subduction.

“Observing the location of the epicentre and the depth of the hypocentre, the earthquake is a shallow earthquake resulting from plate subduction activity,” stated Wijayanto, Director of Earthquakes and Tsunamis at BMKG, in a release shared with stakeholders in Manado.

Analysis of the source mechanism indicates that the earthquake involved a thrust fault movement. The tremors were also felt in Morotai City, North Halmahera, with an intensity of IV MMI, and in North Gorontalo Regency with an intensity of III-IV MMI. Additionally, tremors were felt in Batang Dua, Ternate, West Halmahera, Gorontalo, South Halmahera, East Halmahera, Parigi Moutong, Manado, Minahasa, Palu, Bitung, East Boltim, and Central Halmahera with an intensity of III MMI.