TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two earthquakes measured above magnitude 5 on the Richter scale struck East Java at midnight on January 18, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported. Current data suggest the first quake measured at M5.2 struck 287 kilometers southwest of Blitar Regency at 23:10 WIB.

The second one measured at magnitude 5.4 occurred at 23:27 WIB with the epicenter 306 kilometers southeast of Pacitan. Both of the earthquakes came from a depth of 10 kilometers.

According to BMKG Head of Earthquake and Tsunami Center, Daryono, the quake at 23.10.51 WIB in the South Indian Ocean region of Java, Trenggalek, East Java was deemed a tectonic earthquake.

"The results of the BMKG analysis show that this earthquake has parameter updates with a magnitude of M5.0," he wrote. The epicenter of the earthquake is located at coordinates 10.69° LS; 111.80° East Longitude, or to be precise, located at sea 227 kilometers south of the city of Tulungagung, East Java at a depth of 20 kilometers.”

Daryono explained, based on the location of the epicenter and the depth of the hypocenter, the two earthquakes were shallow quakes due to activity in the outer rise zone.

MARIA FRANSISCA LAHUR

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