Bandung BMKG Warns of Active Earthquake Faults in West Java

TEMPO.CO, Bandung - Dozens of earthquakes jolted West Java regions due to active fault activities during July 2021. Some of these faults have been identified and some have not. “This indicates that the faults in the West Java region are active so that people must stay vigilant,” said Bandung Geophysics Station Head Teguh Rahayu.

In a written statement on Sunday, August 8, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) revealed that 4 out of 15 quakes felt by residents throughout July 2021 originated from the Cimandiri Fault, the Garsela Fault (South Garut), and local faults in the Banjar City area that have not been identified yet.

There were a total of 49 quakes measuring 1.4-4.0 magnitudes, according to the geophysical study. Not all of the tremors, however, could be felt on the surface.

Of the figure, the majority or 41 quakes were at a depth of fewer than 60 kilometers or shallow ones, seven were medium quakes with a source depth of 60-300 kilometers, and the remaining one was a deep quake at a depth of more than 300 kilometers.

Additionally, about 45 percent of them occurred on land, while the rest 55 percent came from the sea. “So there is a potential for a tsunami caused by quakes in the southern coast of West Java,” said Rahayu.

The latest quake reportedly originated from the Indian Ocean, or south of West Java, on Sunday,  August 8 at a magnitude of 4.1. The tremor shook the East Priangan region at 17:30 Western Indonesian Time (WIB). The BMKG revealed that the source location was close to doublet earthquakes that hit South Bandung and its surroundings the day before.

Read: Strong Earthquake Jolts Lampung's Tanggamus to Pelabuhan Ratu

ANWAR SISWADI (CONTRIBUTOR)