No Report of Damages After Meulaboh Earthquake, Says BMKG

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The 4.9-magnitude earthquake that jolted Meulaboh, Aceh Province, in the early hours of Saturday did not cause damages, according to the West Aceh Disaster Mitigation Agency (BMKG).

"As of Saturday evening, we have not received any report of damages caused by the earthquake," said Coordinator the agency's control room, Mashuri.

The quake's epicenter was located at 3.92 degrees northern latitude and 95.86 degrees eastern longitude, some 38 km southwest of Meulaboh, the capital of West Aceh District, and at a depth of 39 km.

The tremor of the earthquake that occurred at 02:13 a.m. local time caused panic among several residents in the city's coastal areas, he said.

He urged local residents to rush out home for safety reason but to keep staying calm at anytime an earthquake happen.

Earthquakes regularly rock various parts of Indonesia since the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.

Sumatra and various smaller islands off its coastal areas are vulnerable to earthquake.

From May 28 to June 3, 2021, the Medan branch of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), for instance, recorded 48 earthquakes rattling areas in the provinces of North Sumatra and Aceh.

The agency categorized most of them as shallow earthquakes that occurred on several faults, in subduction zones, and outer rises.

The active faults triggering the earthquake occurred in Seulimeum, Central Aceh, Batee C, Renun, and Toru," according to the agency's spokesperson, Eridawati.

Aceh Province, located at the northernmost tip of Sumatra Island, had also experienced the deadliest ever earthquake, followed by a tsunami on December 26, 2004.

The catastrophe that also affected certain coastal areas in countries, such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India, reportedly killed some 230 thousand people.

The latest deadly earthquake to have rattled Indonesia was in West Sulawesi Province on January 15, 2021.

The 6.2-magnitude earthquake, ensued by several aftershocks, jolted the districts of Mamuju and Majene, claiming more than 100 lives and destroying several buildings.

Read: Within a Week, 48 Earthquakes Hit North Sumatra, Aceh: BMKG

ANTARA