Indonesia earthquake: Tsunami warning as 6.2 magnitude tremor strikes sea bed

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake as struck the coast of Indonesia, forcing authorities to issue a Tsunami warning.

The strong quake occurred in the Banda Sea around 58 miles from Sulawesi Tenggara, Indonesia, on Tuesday afternoon Oct 1, 2024 at 528pm local time. The quake had a depth of 365 miles and was reportedly felt by some people near its epicenter.

A tweet from the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said: "#Gempa Mag :6 .2, 01-Oct-24 16:28:03 WIB, Loc :6 .18 LS, 125.04 BT (186 km Southeast of WAKATOBI-SULTRA), Depth: 631 km, no tsunami potential #BMKG".

According to preliminary estimates from the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake might have been felt by over 80,500 people across he country. However, for most people, the quake might only have felt as barely noticeable or weak shaking if at all with an intensity scale of I-III.

At around 10.28 GMT (16.28 local time), the geological agency lifted its tsunami warning - but warned residents to "be careful of possible aftershocks".

READ MORE: Foreign Office new travel alert to 19 countries as it says 'could escalate quickly'

Indonesia lies on the so-called Ring of Fire of fault lines that surround the Pacific Ocean where tectonic plates meet. The country, along with many other nations in the region, is no stranger to tremors and eruptions.

Countries on the fault line are vulnerable to seismic activity, including volcanoes and earthquakes, as the giant plates in the Earth's crust collide and rub against each other. Seismologists expect there to be around one earthquake of magnitude 8 or more in a year. There are also around 20 that are over a magnitude of 7 and 120 with a magnitude over 6.

In 2018, the country witnessed a deadly earthquake, tsunami and volcanic eruption. A 7.5-magnitude tremor triggered a 20ft wave that submerged coastal regions leaving more than 1,400 dead. It was followed by two volcanic earthquakes as Mount Soputan spewed a massive column of ash and smoke more than two miles into the air. Everyone within a two-mile radius was ordered to flee amid fears of lava and poisonous ash clouds.

This is a breaking news story. Follow us on Google News , Flipboard , Apple News , Twitter , Facebook or visit The Mirror homepage.