Ternate Observes Easter in Makeshift Tents as 7.6M Quake Damages Churches

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The residents of Mayau Village, Batang Dua Islands, Ternate, are holding a series of Easter celebrations in makeshift tents following the 7.6 magnitude earthquake on Thursday morning, April 2, 2026. Their churches collapsed and sustained damage in the strong tremor yesterday.

"It's going to be different this year. Unlike Easter celebrations in the previous years, we're celebrating in makeshift tents. But it won't deter our enthusiasm for Easter observation," Linda Kaunang, 47, one of the residents of Batang Dua, told Tempo on Friday, April 3, 2026.

This year's Good Friday is observed by many residents solemnly in their small and cramped tents, following yesterday's destructive earthquake. "Our church may have collapsed, but not our faith. That's why many residents of Batang Dua celebrated Easter in the tents," Linda said.

Rizal Marsaoly, the Head of the Disaster Response Task Force of Ternate, said at least four churches in the administrative district were severely damaged in the earthquake. These four churches are located in the Bido, Tifure, Mayau, and Pante Sagu sub-districts.

"The damage ranges from minor to severe in these churches. Some are collapsed, rendering them unusable," Rizal told Tempo on Friday, April 3, 2026.

According to Rizal, apart from places of worship, the earthquake also caused severe damage to a number of houses in Batang Dua Islands, including 32 houses suffering severe damage, 36 houses having moderate damage, and 65 houses having minor damage.

"Although the impact of the earthquake was quite severe, the activities of the residents have returned to normal. We have also advised the residents not to panic and to always coordinate with the government," Rizal said.

Prior to this, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck Ternate and Tidore. The earthquake's epicenter, located at coordinates 1.25 degrees north latitude and -126.27 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 62 kilometers, caused panic among the residents. The earthquake was felt in Ternate, Tidore Islands, Sofifi in North Maluku, as well as Bitung, Manado, and Minahasa in North Sulawesi.

Read: Ternate Declares Emergency Response Following M7.6 Earthquake

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