The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency reported that the quake, whose epicenter was located at around two kilometers away from the southwest of Miangas Island at a depth of 36 kilometers, did not potentially trigger the tsunami.
The earthquake could have been triggered by the subduction of the Philippines' oceanic plate in the megathrust zone, Head of the agency's Earthquake and Tsunami Mitigation Division, Daryono, said in a statement that ANTARA received in Jakarta on Thursday evening.
Due to its strong impact, many local residents panicked and rushed out of their homes. The tremors were also felt by those in the islands of Talaud, Melonguane, and Tahuna. There were no reports of damaged buildings, while there were two aftershocks with magnitudes of 4.9 and 4.7.
Earthquakes regularly rock various parts of Indonesia due to the fact that the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.
