295 Earthquakes Jolted East Nusa Tenggara in April

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Kupang Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has revealed that 295 tectonic earthquakes jolted East Nusa Tenggara Province in the month of April this year, with Sumba Island recording the most frequent quakes.

"Earthquakes most frequently hit the southwestern part of Sumba Island," the agency's head, Robert Wahyu, said in Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara Province, on Saturday.

The magnitude of 215 of the 295 earthquakes was three or lower on the Richter Scale, while a quake measuring five or more on the scale was recorded just once. The province experienced fewer quakes in the month of March this year, when the number stood at 206, he said.

However, in March, 2020, there were no earthquakes of significant magnitude, Wahyu pointed out.

Located on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activity, Indonesia is susceptible to natural disasters, including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

In 2018, Indonesia suffered 11,577 earthquakes, which resulted in grave casualties, according to the BMKG. The number of quakes was also significantly higher than that recorded in 2017.

The BMKG data shows that while 11,577 earthquakes of varying magnitudes and depths struck the country in 2018, just 7,172 quakes were recorded in 2017.

This indicates a significant increase in the number of tectonic earthquakes in 2018.

Several earthquake-related events witnessed in Indonesia in 2018 were recorded for the very first time, such as liquefaction in Palu, a tsunami that struck prior to the issuance of a warning in Palu, and the Sunda Strait Tsunami.

The strong earthquakes and tsunamis claimed several lives in affected areas and crippled local economy.

ANTARA