Shallow 5.8-magnitude quake hits eastern Indonesia island: USGS

A shallow 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck an island in eastern Indonesia on Monday ( Oct 21 ), according to the United States Geological Survey.

At 10.24am local time ( 3.24am GMT ), an onshore quake struck the Molucca sea island of Tapat at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to USGS.

On the island, which has a population of around 50 000, there are no immediate reports of casualties or injury.

Indonesia’s weather and geophysics firm said there was no wave threat.

The vast coast region is frequently shaken by its location on the Pacific” Ring of Fire,” an extreme seismic activity that extends from Japan through Southeast Asia and the Pacific lake.

A magnitude-6.2 collapse that shook Sulawesi beach in January 2021 killed more than 100 people and left dozens poor.

In 2018, a magnitude-7.5 collapse and following tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi killed more than 2, 200 individuals.

And in 2004, a magnitude-9.1 collapse struck Aceh territory, causing a wave and killing more than 170, 000 people in Indonesia.