A shallow earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck near the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Wednesday, 26 February 2025, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor prompted residents to flee their homes, though no casualties or damage have been reported.
The earthquake occurred at 6:55 a.m. local time (22:55 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles), with its epicentre located offshore near North Sulawesi province, as reported by the USGS. Indonesia’s meteorological agency recorded a slightly lower magnitude of 6.0 and confirmed that there was no tsunami threat.
Residents Recall the Moment of the Quake
Locals in North Sulawesi described the panic that ensued when the earthquake struck.
“I had just woken up when I realised it was an earthquake. It was strong, swaying from side to side,” said Gita Waloni, a 25-year-old guest at a hotel in North Minahasa district.
“Objects in my room rattled. I decided to get out. I was so scared there would be an aftershock while I was in the lift. All the other guests had also fled,” she told the Press.
Indonesia’s History of Devastating Earthquakes
Indonesia, an archipelago nation, frequently experiences earthquakes due to its location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region of high seismic activity where multiple tectonic plates meet. In January 2021, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake in Sulawesi claimed over 100 lives and left thousands homeless. In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake, followed by a tsunami in Palu, Sulawesi, resulted in more than 2,200 deaths.
The most devastating earthquake in Indonesia’s recent history occurred in 2004, when a 9.1-magnitude quake struck Aceh province, triggering a massive tsunami that killed over 170,000 people in Indonesia alone.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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