TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The initial earthquake that hit the West Sulawesi regency of Mamuju on Tuesday afternoon was generally unfelt as it measured at 2.8 on the Richter scale. But little did people know that the ground was opening up to a more destructive magnitude 5.8 quake the following day on Wednesday, June 8, which forced more than 11 thousand people to evacuate.

The weaker earthquake was disguised among a series of quakes that could be felt in Palu and South Bolaang Mongondow on the same day, which was categorized as type 2 earthquakes by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). The agency also noted the minimum amount of aftershocks.

“The lack of aftershocks is hoped to be a good sign,” said BMKG coordinator for earthquake mitigation and tsunami, Daryono.

Daryono compared the recent series of events with the destructive earthquake that struck the region in January 2021, when the initial earthquake was measured at a magnitude of 5.9. It was followed by the main quake of magnitude 6.2 and a series of aftershocks the following day which displaced 15,000 people from their homes and killed 70 people.

As for the epicenter, last year’s quake was centered on the land while the recent earthquake was centered off the coast of Sulawesi. “The 5.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Mamuju this noon was sourced from a strike-slip that is still unmapped,” said Daryono on Wednesday.

ANWAR SISWADI

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