BMKG Keeps Eye on Two Recent Megathrust Earthquakes in NTB

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) detected earthquakes sourced from the same megathrust zone beneath the south of Lombok-Sumbawa two days in a row. The two quakes occurred on Thursday and Friday, April 16, measuring at 5.5-magnitude and 5.4-magnitude, respectively.

“Hopefully, the series of quakes will not continue,” said the agency’s coordinator for earthquake and tsunami mitigation, Daryono, via his Twitter account after the second quake detected today.

BMKG's data stated that today's quake occurred at 10:42 Western Indonesian Time (WIB) at sea, 202 kilometers southeast of West Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), at a depth of 10 kilometers. The tremor could be felt in Sumbawa at scale III of the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI). Weaker shocks could also be felt in Mataram and Denpasar.

On April 15, the 5.5-magnitude quake occurred at 17:36 WIB. Its epicenter was recorded at 204 kilometers southeast of West Sumbawa, while its hypocenter was 10 kilometers. The tremor was felt in Sumbawa and Mataram at scale III of the MMI.

Apart from the megathrust zone beneath the south of Lombok-Sumbawa, BMKG also recorded a 3.5-magnitude earthquake in North Kolaka, South Sulawesi, today at 7:42 WIB. It originated on land at a depth of 10 kilometers. The strongest shock measured was at scale III of the MMI.

Read: West Java Struck by M 4.9 Earthquake, BMKG Reports

ZACHARIAS WURAGIL