It was a moderate magnitude 5.6 earthquake that hit the Banda Sea, in eastern Indonesia on May 10, 2025 in the morning. The tremor hit about 6:45am (Malaysian Time) and caused mild ripples of concern in surrounding areas. However, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has officially come out and stated that the quake is not a threat to any tsunami events in Malaysia, which will therefore provide comfort to the public. The earthquake had its roots deeply down in the seabed so reducing its effect on the surface and further decreasing the danger to countries surrounding it.
Earthquake Details:
The earthquake hit 171 kilometres underground the seabed as reported by MetMalaysia. Its epicenter was approximately 413 kilometers south of Ambon city, one of the most populous cities of eastern Indonesia. Bearing the fact that the seismic activity has a significant depth, the impacts of the tremor were mostly confined to the earth’s surface, thereby causing little disturbance above the ground, or on the sea.
The Malaysian meteorological department managed to issue a public notice not long after the earthquake, which states that no tsunami alarm has been triggered. “There is no tsunami threat to Malaysia,” MetMalaysia said, allaying public fears that are common after seismic events in the area. The agency still keeps an eye on regional seismic activity as part of its mandate for public safety.
Regional Earthquake Monitoring:
Indonesia falls next to the Pacific Ring of Fire, an attractive place for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to movement of tectonic plates. Despite the many tremors the region gets in a year not all of the tremors have destructive effects. Although near these zones, Malaysia is normally protected from the worst impact of earthquakes because of its geological positioning and the deep sea quake depths.
Though there is no threat, there has been no threat of a tsunami, MetMalaysia cautions the public not to spread unverified information and to remain informed of official updates. Precise and timely reporting is still paramount in keeping the peace and getting prepared amidst tremors event.
