At least two people have been found dead and thousands were forced from their homes after a major 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit the remote Maluku islands in eastern Indonesia, an official said Monday.

The shallow quake struck about 165 kilometres (100 miles) south of the town of Ternate in North Maluku province on Sunday evening, according to the US Geological Survey.

In the sparsely populated South Halmahera district, the closest area to the epicentre, around 160 houses collapsed or were damaged when the earthquake struck.

Two woman died after being hit by debris, officials said.

The quake also forced traumatised residents to flee to the higher ground.

"More than 2,000 people have been moved," national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Agus Wibowo told a press conference Monday.

The evacuees are sheltering in several schools and government buildings.

Local disaster agency official Ihsan Subur said most people were still traumatised and refused to return home for fear of another earthquake or a possible tsunami.

Indonesia's weather agency said at least 65 aftershocks have been recorded between the initial quake and Monday morning.

Government officials have started to distribute food and other relief supplies for the evacuees.

North Maluku province was also hit by a 6.9-magnitude tremor last week but no extensive damage or casualties were reported.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide.

Last year, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island killed more than 2,200 people, with another thousand declared missing.

On December 26, 2004, a devastating 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 across the Indian Ocean region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Seafloor survey confirms earthquake risk near Istanbul
Washington (UPI) Jul 9, 2019
It's been more than 250 years since the last major earthquake struck Istanbul, the capital of Turkey. Though the nearby fault system has been silent for two-and-a-half centuries, new research suggests the risk of another major quake is high. By analyzing shifts in the seafloor, scientists were able to confirm, for the first time, the presence of significant tectonic strain along the North Anatolian fault in the Sea of Marmara. "It would be sufficient to trigger another earthquake with ma ... read more