Indonesia: Magnitude-5.4 offshore earthquake occurs in Molucca Sea, west of North Maluku Province, June 17

A magnitude-5.4 offshore earthquake occurred in the Molucca Sea at around 08:39 June 17. The epicenter was about 109 km (68 miles) east-southeast of Bitung, North Sulawesi Province. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt in parts of western North Maluku and most of North Sulawesi provinces. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties, 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.