- The earthquake struck Indonesia at 1:30 PM local time
- It had a magnitude of 5.7 and struck at a depth of about 10 km
- Indonesia is a hotbed for earthquakes because it straddles several tectonic plates
A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck Indonesia’s Halmahera Sea on Monday, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) said.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10km, the GFZ said, and occurred at around 1.30pm local time (7.30am UK time), about 42km off the coast of Obi Island.
According to Indonesian meteorology agency BMKG, the magnitude 5.7 earthquake is the fourth to hit the country today alone. The first earthquake of the day, which was recorded as a magnitude 5.6, occurred at 10:24 a.m. local time.
Indonesia lies at the intersection of the Pacific, Eurasian and Indo-Australian tectonic plates, making it a hotbed for earthquakes.
Due to the complex interactions between the tectonic plates, the country experiences approximately three earthquakes per day.
A powerful 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Halmahera Sea on Monday (Halmahera Sea file image)
Indonesia lies at the intersection of the Pacific, Eurasian and Indo-Australian tectonic plates, making it a hotbed for earthquakes (File image of Halmahera Sea)
Although the structure of the Indonesian archipelago means that these earthquakes often occur at sea and cause little damage, they can be devastating when they strike populated land.
Last month, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck West Java left two dead and nearly 160 injured after destroying homes and businesses.
The two who died were children. One died as a result of injuries sustained by falling debris, while the other suffered a seizure.
Hundreds were forced to evacuate their homes after 784 houses collapsed and more than 5,500 buildings were damaged.
In total, the earthquake caused more than £19 million in damage to the region.