TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto has received a report on the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck the southwestern coast of Batang Dua Island, Ternate, North Maluku. The earthquake was tectonic in nature, with the epicenter located at coordinates 1.25 degrees North Latitude and 126.27 degrees East Longitude, precisely in the sea, 129 kilometers southeast of Bitung, North Sulawesi, at a depth of 33 kilometers.
Cabinet Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya stated that President Prabowo has been monitoring the situation since the beginning. The President has been informed by the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Lieutenant General TNI Suharyanto regarding the earthquake that shook North Sulawesi to North Maluku. "Especially in the city of Bitung and Ternate, and Batang Dua Island," said Teddy in a written statement on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
Teddy mentioned that President Prabowo instructed Suharyanto to expedite the evacuation process. He explained that the BNPB, TNI, Police, and local government officials have been deployed to the earthquake-affected areas to assess and evacuate residents. "This morning, through the Head of BNPB, the President immediately instructed all officials and BNPB teams to evacuate the affected residents as soon as possible," he said.
The government has urged people to remain cautious and not return to affected buildings until the situation is declared safe. "The Head of BNPB has urged residents not to return to the affected buildings," said Teddy.
The 7.6 magnitude earthquake occurred on Thursday morning, April 2, 2026, around 05:48 AM WIB (Western Indonesia Time). The tremor was strongly felt for 10 to 20 seconds in Bitung city and its surrounding areas. The earthquake was also strongly felt in the city of Ternate, North Maluku Province, causing panic and prompting people to rush out of their homes.
The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) reported one fatality as a result of this earthquake. The Head of Data, Information, and Disaster Communication Center of BNPB, Abdul Muhari, stated that the victim was found lifeless among the rubble of a building. "A resident was found lifeless in the rubble of the KONI Building at Sario Sports Field, Manado City, and has been evacuated," he said in a written statement on Thursday.
The victim was found buried under building materials after the earthquake struck the area. A joint team consisting of Basarnas, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), and residents swiftly evacuated the area of the incident.
Based on rapid assessment reports until 08:00 AM WIB, BNPB also noted infrastructure damage in several affected areas. One place of worship was reported damaged in the Pulau Batang Dua District, Ternate City. In addition, two houses suffered damage in the Ganbesi Subdistrict, South Ternate District.
Eka Yudha and Dani Aswara contributed to the writing of this article
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