Indonesia's Geophysics Agency Records 106 Earthquakes in West Java Throughout April

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Geophysical Station in Bandung recorded 106 earthquakes in West Java Province and its surroundings in April 2024.

"Of the 106 earthquakes, the largest earthquake recorded was of 6.5 magnitude and the smallest was 1.4 magnitude," Head of the BMKG Geophysical Station in Bandung Teguh Rahayu stated on Saturday, May 04, 2024.

Rahayu elaborated that based on the epicenter distribution map, as many as 70 earthquakes in April 2024 occurred at sea due to active fault activities, including the subduction between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

She stated that the 36 other earthquakes occurred on land with shallow depths due to local faults and were also triggered by the Indo-Australian tectonic plate activity.

"Earthquakes occurred with varying depths in the range of four to 317 kilometers," she remarked.

She noted that one of the largest earthquakes, with a magnitude of 5.5, hit Sukabumi District on Saturday (April 27).

Earthquakes of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) III-IV were felt in Sukabumi, Tasikmalaya, Garut, and Bandung, while MMI III quakes were felt in Tangerang, South Tangerang, Bogor, Jakarta, Kebumen, Banyumas, Cilacap, and Purwokerto.

Bantul, Sleman, Kulonprogo, Trenggalek, and Malang experienced the earthquake at MMI II.

"Looking at the epicenter and the hypocenter, the earthquakes were the result of rock deformation in the Indo-Australian plate which was being subducted under the Eurasian plate south of West Java," Rahayu explained.

In addition, the BMKG emphasized the importance of increasing awareness among residents and stakeholders on mitigation efforts to minimize the impact of earthquakes.

"We advised that in the event of an earthquake, the public needs to be calm and vigilant and not be provoked by unreliable information," she stated.

The BMKG also suggested the public avoid cracked or damaged buildings caused by earthquakes.

ANTARA

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