MANADO, Indonesia — Hospitals in northern Indonesia began assessing structural damage on Friday after a strong earthquake struck the Northern Molucca Sea, forcing the evacuation of patients and staff from at least one major facility.
A magnitude 7.4 to 7.6 earthquake hit on Thursday morning, with its epicenter offshore about 127 kilometers west-northwest of Ternate in North Maluku province, according to the United States Geological Survey. The tremor was strongly felt in Manado and Bitung in North Sulawesi province as well as in Ternate, prompting brief tsunami warnings that were later lifted.
At Siloam Hospital in Manado, approximately 40 patients were evacuated to the lobby, an open area and nearby military facilities after cracks appeared and parts of the building sustained damage, local media and hospital reports indicated. Patients and medical staff moved quickly outdoors as shaking lasted 10 to 20 seconds.
A patient at Siloam Hospital, identified as Admini, 69, described the scene: “We were sitting there drinking tea... [Initially we] didn’t realise it was an earthquake. And then we heard a child scream, ‘Come down, hurry up.’”
Nurses and doctors set up makeshift treatment areas outside and in vehicles, witnesses said.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and local search and rescue teams reported initial assessments of minor to moderate damage to several houses, a church and other structures in affected areas, including Ternate and Tidore. At least 102 buildings were damaged in the Ternate area and 24 in Tidore, according to preliminary tallies.
One person was killed by falling rubble when part of a building used by the local sports authority collapsed in Manado, North Sulawesi police said. Several others were injured, with at least three hospitalized in Ternate, authorities reported. Details on the full extent of injuries remained limited as assessments continued.
The earthquake-prone region lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded more than 100 aftershocks, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.2.
BNPB head Abdul Muhari said teams in Manado, Bitung and Ternate were continuing to inspect buildings to determine the extent of damage and check for any further casualties.
As of Friday, no comprehensive damage reports for all hospitals in the region had been released. Officials said evaluations of structural integrity at medical facilities were ongoing, with operations adjusted where necessary to ensure patient safety. No additional fatalities linked to hospital damage were reported.
Search and rescue operations and damage assessments continued in North Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces.
