Indonesia: Magnitude-5.1 offshore earthquake occurs off the northwest coast of Morotai Island, North Maluku Province, Dec. 22

A magnitude-5.1 earthquake occurred in the Molucca Sea off the northwest coast of Morotai Island, North Maluku Province, at around 20:34 Dec. 22. The epicenter was about 102 km (63 miles) north-northeast of Tobelo. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 65 km (40 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of northern and central North Maluku and far northeastern North Sulawesi provinces. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.