03/04/2026

FRIDAY | APR 3, 2026

7

Earthquake kills one in Indonesia

MANADO: A major 7.4-magnitude quake struck off the coast of eastern Indonesia yesterday, killing one person, damaging buildings and sending people running into the streets in panic. The early morning tremor in the Molucca Sea between the Sulawesi and Maluku island groups triggered waves of up to 75cm high in some places and prompted a tsunami warning that was subsequently lifted. One individual was killed when a building collapsed in Manado and another was injured, said search and rescue official George Leo Mercy Randang. The deceased was “buried under the rubble”, he said, adding that authorities were following up on reports of more individuals injured. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the tremor hit at a shallow depth of 35km. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) initially said hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 1,000km of the epicentre along the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. Elevated waves were observed in nine locations in North Maluku, North Sulawesi and Gorontalo provinces, with the highest hitting 75cm in North Minahasa, according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency. The PTWC lifted its warning just over two hours after the tremor, saying the tsunami threat “has passed”. Budi Nurgianto, a 42-year-old resident of Ternate in North Maluku province, said he was inside his house when the tremor struck, sending people outside in terror. “The quake was felt strongly. I heard it first from the walls of the house that shook. “When I went outside, there were many people outside. They were panicked. The quake was felt (for) quite long, more than a minute. “I even saw some people leaving their house without having finished their shower.” o Elevated waves observed in nine locations in North Maluku, North Sulawesi and Gorontalo provinces

Police officers looking at a building of the North Sumatra’s National Sports Committee that was damaged following the quake. – AFPPIC

Taiwan, Guam and Palau. The Japan Meteorological Agency said it expected “slight changes” in the sea level along the Pacific coast from northern Hokkaido to southern Okinawa, but has not issued any warnings. The earthquake centres of the Philippines and Malaysia have not issued tsunami alerts. Indonesia and neighbouring countries experience frequent earthquakes due to their location in the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude quake struck the western most Aceh province, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000 people in Indonesia. – AFP

Dozens of aftershocks rippled through the area after the main quake, said agency head Teuku Faisal Fathani in the capital Jakarta. One of them had a magnitude of 5.9, USGS data showed. An AFP journalist in Manado, about 300km west of Ternate by sea, said the shaking woke him and others in the city of some 450,000 people. “I immediately woke up and left my house. People (were) scrambling outside. There is a school and the pupils rushed outside.” The shaking persisted for “quite long” but he did not witness “significant damage”, he added. The PTWC had initially warned that tsunami waves of up to one metre were possible for parts of Indonesia and smaller ones were possible for the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan,

GAS STATION FIRE INJURES 12 NEAR RESIDENTIAL AREA JAKARTA: A fire has broken out at a liquefied petroleum gas filling station near a residential area in Indonesia’s Bekasi regency, east of the capital Jakarta, injuring at least 12 individuals, state news agency Antara said yesterday, citing the local disaster mitigation agency. Antara cited disaster mitigation official Idham Kholid in Bekasi as saying there were no deaths from the incident but 12 individuals suffered from injuries. Some houses and vehicles were also damaged, he said. The cause of the fire remains unclear. – Reuters FOUR DEAD AFTER COAL MINE ROOF COLLAPSES IN CHINA TAIYUAN: Four individuals trapped in a coal mine in north China’s Shanxi Province were confirmed dead by local authorities early yesterday, reported Xinhua. The accident happened in Xingxian County at 9.15pm on Wednesday when the roof of the coal mine collapsed, trapping the four victims. Their bodies were recovered by 2.46am yesterday. – Bernama-Xinhua INDIA DEFENCE EXPORTS HIT ‘ALL-TIME HIGH’ NEW DEHLI: India’s defence exports “skyrocketed”to an all-time high of more than US$4 billion (RM16 billion) in the last fiscal year, as it looks to boost its arms manufacturing sector, the government said yesterday. The figures mark a rise of more than 60% from 2024, the Defence Ministry said, and provide a shot in the arm for the South Asian country, which is determined to recast itself as a major producer and exporter of weapons. – AFP

BR I E F S

Australia to crack down on gambling advertising SYDNEY: Australia said it would ban gambling advertisements featuring celebrities and limit online gambling advertisements to internet users aged over 18, representing an attempt to appease public health concerns but falling short of measures recommended by its own inquiry. Nearly three years since his government’s review recommended a total ban on online gambling advertisements, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government would only allow the online advertisements for users who are logged into accounts and aged over 18. Gambling advertisers, a major contributor to free-to-air television and sports revenue, already face restrictions in frequency and the time of day they can go on air. and 8.30pm, with a complete ban during live sports broadcasts within those hours. The package, which takes effect from 2027, addresses an issue that has gnawed at Albanese’s centre-left government although it commands a record majority in Parliament. Cross-benchers say Albanese has been too slow to address gambling, a problem that was forecast to cost Australians A$34 billion (RM94 billion) last year, the most per capita in the world. “Not a single parent in this country would opt in to their kids seeing gambling ads,“ said Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello, referring to a feature of the new law that requires an internet user to opt out if they do not want to see ads. asking parents to opt out. The onus should be on the gambling companies and the platforms.” However, Albanese stood by the new rules, which he called “the most significant reform on gambling that has ever been implemented”. “The government is taking decisive action to address the community and public health concerns associated with gambling.“ The rules focus on minimising children’s exposure to gambling harm by stopping the “deluge of advertisements” they face, he added. Advertisements would be banned on the radio during school drop-off and pick-up times. The use of celebrities and sports stars in gambling promotions would also be prohibited, while gambling branding would be banned from sports venues and the uniforms of players and officials. – Reuters The wide-ranging new rules include a cap of three advertisements per hour between 6am “The government should not claim that they are protecting kids from gambling advertising by

Seoul secures 50 million barrels oil for April SEOUL: South Korea has secured around 50 million barrels of alternative oil supplies for this month to replace supplies from West Asia that are blocked due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, government officials said yesterday, vowing continued efforts to stably manage energy supplies, Yonhap News Agency reported. The government and oil refineries are working hard to secure alternative oil supplies from different countries, said Trade, Industry and Resource Security Deputy Minister Yang Ghi-wuk for in a regular briefing on energy supply, noting that Seoul has been knocking on the doors of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kazakhstan, the United States and other countries. Yang said about 80 million barrels of oil arrive in

monitoring of the market, he said. Regarding Australia’s plan to impose export restrictions on natural gas, Yang said the move is expected to have limited impact on South Korea, explaining that Australia has told Seoul’s Foreign Ministry that it would make sure there is no disruption in its long-term gas supply contract with Korea. – Bernama-Yonhap

South Korea each month when things run as usual, but around 50 million barrels have been tentatively secured at the moment for this month, with alternative supplies to increase in May. To cover the shortfall, the government is controlling the demand and working to help with supplies through a crude oil swap system with private companies, and will continue close