(Independent) – A tsunami warning has been issued for eight cities in Indonesia following a 7.1-magnitude earthquake. The quake struck in the Molucca sea between the islands of Sulawesi and North Maluku at a depth of 22 miles, according to Indonesia’s geophysics agency BMKG. Several smaller aftershocks followed and waves of up to half a meter (1.6 ft) are predicted for the nearest coastlines.
It caused panic in the city of Ternate, where people ran to higher ground. Some hospitals in the city, around 80 miles from the epicenter, sustained minor damage and had to evacuate patients, according to local media. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The national geophysics agency had not lifted the tsunami warning over an hour after the quake. READ MORE
