A magnitude 7.6 tectonic earthquake struck southeast of Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, triggering small tsunami waves across coastal areas, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported on April 2, according to Antara.

The tremor took place at 05:48 am local time, with its epicentre at sea at coordinates 1.25 degrees North and 126.25 degrees East - at a depth of 62 km, the head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre, said Abdul Muhari, said

The quake deomnstrates the ever persistent vulnerability of the Indonesian archipelago’s eastern regions to high-magnitude tectonic events and subsequent maritime threats. Although the detected waves following the shaking remained below 0.5 metres, the proximity of the epicentre to populated hubs like Bitung and Ternate also highlights the necessity of the region’s early-warning systems, which recognised the presence of the first waves within 20 minutes of the initial tremor.

"While relatively small, these conditions still necessitate vigilance as the potential for follow-up waves remains," said Muhari.

Early-warning systems also detected a tsunami wave of 0.3 metres in West Halmahera at 06:08 am and a 0.2 metre wave in Bitung at 06:15 am reports say. The tremors were felt strongly for 10- to 20-seconds in Bitung and surrounding areas. The quake was also felt in Ternate (North Maluku), causing panic as many residents rushed out of their homes and into the street.

The Bitung quake today follows a period of heightened seismic activity across the Sulawesi peninsula. In Southeast Sulawesi, the Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded a cluster of 25 earthquakes between March 22 and March 28, Kompas.com reports. Most were recorded as shallow, low-magnitude tremors triggered by local active faults.

"Generally, these earthquakes did not pose a tsunami risk," said Nasrol Adil, Acting Head of the BMKG Region IV Makassar.

Two aftershocks followed the Bitung quake, measuring magnitude 5.5 at 06:07 am and magnitude 5.2 at 06:12 am, as of 07:00 WIB on April 2. Both were centred at sea and posed no further tsunami risk.