Earthquakes shake us to our very core as they send buildings tumbling

and start other natural disasters, like tsunamis. The most destructive
earthquakes of 2019 caused damage to buildings and loss of life while some
big earthquakes luckily only damaged our nerves.

The 2017 earthquakes in Mexico City compounded damage and

destruction as aftershocks rolled through the already devastated city.
Some earthquakes of the 21st century are among the worst in history, with
many sadly claiming hundreds of thousands of lives at a time from the
initial quake and resulting tsunamis. While counts are often disputed, the
2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and the 2010 Haiti Earthquake are the
worst two earthquakes of the 21st century, with each causing hundreds of
billions of dollars in damage, leaving millions injured or homeless, and
taking over 200,000 lives.

Even though we can prepare for earthquakes as much as possible through

earthquake-proof architecture and alert systems like Los Angeles's
earthquake early warning ap, ShakeAlertLA, earthquakes often occur
without warning. Often caused by tectonic plate movement, earthquakes
cannot be prevented and cannot always be anticipated.

These are the worst earthquakes of 2019, quakes that caused damage to
property and loss of life. For other destruction caused by natural forces,
see our list of The Worst Natural Disasters of 2019.

A 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook the Moluccas islands on Sunday,

according to the U.S. Geological Survey, creating panic and causing damage
to houses in eastern Indonesia.
Residents sleep on the ground after leaving their homes to find higher grounds following an earthquake in
Gane Utara, North Maluku, Indonesia on Sunday. (AP Photo)

The quake struck the Maluku Islands in the North Maluku province of
Indonesia at a depth of six miles, but there were no reports of major injuries.
The country's meteorology agency (BMKG) said there is little threat of a
tsunami.

North Maluku, Indonesia - 7.3

Areas Affected: The island of Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia

Damages: When Halmahera, North Malaku, Indonesia was hit with a

powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake on July 14th, numerous areas
succumbed to widespread flooding, which swept houses and commercial
buildings right off their foundations. Thankfully, the quake was relatively
shallow, and while it did produce a tsunami, it only amounted to a wave of
just 20 cm. Despite this, numerous people were killed, and more than
50,000 were displaced. The total cost of damages to the island was
relatively low given the magnitude. Ultimately, the cost was limited to 87
billion Indonesian Rupiah, which may sound like a lot of money, but it
amounts to just $6 million U.S. dollars.
Deaths: 13, 129 injured.

Magnitude 7.3 quake causes some damage in eastern Indonesia

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.3 quake was centered 166 kilometers (103 miles) southeast
of Ternate, the provincial capital, at a depth of 10 kilometers
By AP | Jul 14, 2019, 06.44 PM IST

Agencies
No injuries were immediately reported, and authorities were assessing the damage.
A strong, shallow earthquake struck eastern Indonesia's North Maluku province on Sunday,
causing ground to crack and damage to at least one house. There were no immediate reports of
casualties.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.3 quake was centered 166 kilometers (103
miles) southeast of Ternate, the provincial capital, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

Causes
A strong, shallow earthquake struck eastern Indonesia's North Maluku province on Sunday, causing ground to crack
and damage to at least one house. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.3 quake was centered 166 kilometers (103 miles) southeast of
Ternate, the provincial capital, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).

Indonesia's national disaster agency said the land-based earthquake didn't have any potential to cause a ts ..

Earthquake[edit]
The earthquake struck on Sunday afternoon, at 18:10 local time at a shallow depth of 10 km. The
Indonesian Meteorological, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency stated that the earthquake had a
strike-slip mechanism, meaning that the motion of the rupture was horizontal rather than vertical.
The epicentre is located 63 km off-shore Labuha, a small port town in Bacan Island, whereas the
USGS gave an epicenter onshore southern Halmahera.[3] The largest peak acceleration was
recorded in Labuha seismological station.[5]

Casualties[edit]

Dozens of camps were set up across North Maluku after the earthquake struck

The strong shaking caused fear of tsunami among residents in North Maluku, even though the
Indonesian geological agency stated that no tsunami threat was caused by the earthquake. In
Ternate, hundreds of people evacuated to higher grounds due to fear of tsunami. Some evacuated
to Ternate's Regional Disaster Management Board.[8] In Labuha, thousands of residents who lived
near the coastline evacuated to higher grounds. Some residents elected to evacuate to the mayor's
house.[9] Residents from at least 73 villages and 11 districts were displaced by the earthquake

Damage[edit]
Thousands of homes and structures were heavily damaged during the earthquake

Preliminary assessment conducted by the government of North Maluku showed that more than 980
structures had either been heavily damaged or destroyed.[18] Many houses located near the epicentre
had been heavily damaged by the quake. In Yomen Village in Joronga Island, one of the hardest hit
areas, all of the residents' 164 houses and a mosque were flattened by the quake, forcing its 686
residents to evacuate to the mountain.[19] As many as 19 elementary schools and 7 junior high
schools were damaged. Widespread damage were reported across 21 villages and 5 districts in
South Halmahera.[20] At least 110 public facilities were damaged, 78 of which were heavily
damaged.[21]Updated reports on the damage assessment revealed that more than 2,700 houses had
been damaged or destroyed by the quake, of which 1,500 homes suffered slight damage while the
other 1,200 suffered heavy damage..[22][10]
Labuha's Babang Harbour, the main and crucial harbour in Labuha, was damaged in the quake. The
harbour, however, was not closed and transport services were not affected.[23]

Response[edit]
The government of North Maluku declared a state of emergency for 7 days, starting from 15 July to
21 July.[26] It was later extended for another 7 days.[27] North Maluku's government sent tents and
basic needs to the affected residents.[28] The local transportation department sent 13 tonnes of
logistics to the camps.[29] A total of 500 "impromptu toilets" were also built around the camps.[30]
The vice regent of South Halmahera, Iswan Hasjim, stated that the government would build
temporary shelters for the affected residents. A total of Rp 40 billion (approximately USD 2 million)
would be needed.[17].
The city of Tidore announced that it would send a truck carrying 3 tonnes of foods and basic needs
to South Halmahera. Several volunteers were also dispatched by Tidore's local government.[31]
Ministry of Social Affairs sent a total donation of Rp 139 billion, which was sent to 9 villages in
Halmahera. The ministry stated that those who died in the quake would be compensated with Rp 15
million each.[32] Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing sent necessities such as tents and water
tanks, adding that the ministry would provide basic sanitation to the survivors.[33] The Indonesian
BNPB coordinated with Indonesian e-commerce company Bukalapak to ease the delivery of aids.
BNPB stated that a total of 100 sembako would be distributed to the camps.[34] Meanwhile,
Indonesian National Armed Forces dispatched a ship carrying dozens of personnel, including 2
doctors and 8 medical staffs, and aids such as drugs and logistics to Labuha.[35] A boat clinic was
also dispatched from Ambon, Maluku.[
Indonesia - 7.3 M Earthquake update
(GDACS, USGS, BNPB, media) (ECHO
Daily Flash of 19 July 2019)

 Following the strong earthquake of 7.3M in North Maluku Province (eastern Indonesia) on 14 July, the
National Disaster Managament Agency (BNPB) reports six deaths and 2,000 displaced.

 Navy boats and aviation modules have been deployed by the authorities to provide emergency
assistance to those affected.