
Two strong earthquakes hit large country popular with British tourists
Two strong earthquakes hit large country popular with British tourists
The two quakes were recorded at 6.6 and 5.7 magnitude
A file image taken from one of the islands in the northern tip of Indonesia
(Image: Getty )
A nation visited by hundreds of thousands of UK tourists each year has been hit by a 6.6 magnitude earthquake. The quake in the northern-most part of Indonesia was confirmed by the local Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG).
It struck at around 10.17pm local time. The quake's centre was pinpointed at 95km northeast of Melonguane, within the Talaud Islands Regency in North Sulawesi province, the Express reports.
According to Michigan Tech, earthquakes of this severity happen about 100 times a year across the world. The site says that quakes of this magnitude "may cause a lot of damage in very populated areas", atlhough these appear to be more remote.
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The BMKG said that despite the sizeable tremor, there was no cause for tsunami concerns. The agency said in a statement: "An earthquake has occurred with magnitude: 6.6 SR, 95 km NorthEast KEP-TALAUD-SULUT, at: 22-Apr-25 10:17:17 UTC, No TSUNAMI threat (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)"
Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) also detected a separate incident, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake, approximately 141km south-southwest of Banjar, West Java. Both earthquakes appear to have had little impact, with neither resulting in casualties nor notable damage to infrastructure, suggesting they were of a weaker intensity.
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Indonesia sees large numbers of Brit tourists every year, as well as from other countries. According to Statista, around 335,209 visited from the UK in 2023.

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