Strong Earthquake Jolts Central Tapanuli

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A strong earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale jolted Central Tapanuli of North Sumatra today, November 12. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded the quake occurred in the sea, 38 kilometers northwest off Sipirok, Central Tapanuli, at 05:44 local time. 

Centered at a depth of 65 kilometers, the quake’s shake was felt at scale III of the MMI in Pinangsori and Padangsidimpuan of South Tapanuli. Some people claimed to have felt the tremor in reply to the agency’s announcement via its Twitter account @infoBMKG. People in the neighboring areas such as Sibolga and Pariaman seconded the statement. 

The agency’s earthquake and tsunami mitigation coordinator, Daryono, said it was an intermediate quake triggered by the subduction activity of the Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

Daryono added there was no potential for a tsunami and “no reports of damage caused by the quake until now.”

Earlier, the BMKG also detected a 4.7-magnitude earthquake in Sinabang, Simeulue of Aceh. The quake’s epicenter was found in the sea, 46 kilometers southwest off Sinabang, and at a depth of 12 kilometers. The tremor was felt weaker than that in Central Tapanuli at scale II of the MMI.

Read: West Papua Struck by Magnitude 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake

ZACHARIAS WURAGIL