Massive 7.6 magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia, several building damaged, many feared trapped in the rubble; Tsunami alert activated

Earthquake Today: 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia. According to the reports, the epicentre of Thursday's quake was roughly 580 km (360 miles) south of the Philippine coast and 1,000 km (620 miles) from Malaysia's Sabah, and struck at a depth of 35 km (22 miles).

Earthquake

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck in Indonesia's Northern Molucca Sea on Thursday, killing one person, damaging buildings and triggering tsunami waves. As per reports, many are feared trapped inside the rubble.

In a statement, Indonesia's meteorology agency BMKG said - "There were tsunami waves reported in five locations, the highest at 0.75 m (2.46 ft) in North Minahasa in North Sulawesi and about 50 aftershocks were monitored, the largest at a magnitude of 5.8."

Safety Measures to Follow When an Earthquake Strikes

While there are no specific warnings that nature sends before an earthquake, keeping a close track of the meteorological alerts is important. In case you are warned about an impending earthquake, here is what you need to do in order to stay safe and protect yourself:

1. Keep a first-aid kit ready - ensure it carries all the essential medicines such as an anti-allergy pill, OTC medicines for fever, cold and cough. Basic medicines that you take, and most importantly ORS and some supplements.
2. In case you are dealing with any underlying health condition, you must add those medicines as well into the first-ai kit.
3. The next thing that you must do when you receive an earthquake alert is to ensure that you have basic items ready (the ones that are needed for survival), items like drinking water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, extra batteries, power banks, important documents, and a whistle to signal for help if trapped.
4. Apart from these, you are also requested to follow certain health safety rules when an earthquake strikes. Made to to immediately drop to the ground, take cover under sturdy furniture like a table, and hold on until the shaking stops. Avoid standing near windows, glass, or heavy objects.

The epicentre of Thursday's quake was roughly 580 km (360 miles) south of the Philippine coast and 1,000 km (620 miles) from Malaysia's Sabah, and struck at a depth of 35 km (22 miles). The United States Geological Survey said nine other quakes with a magnitude of 7 or more have occurred within 250 km of the Thursday event over the last 50 years but had not caused extensive damage.

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