Strong Earthquake Jolts Maluku's Seram until Papua: BMKG

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A powerful earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale struck East Seram, Maluku in the early hours of Monday, May 6. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded several aftershocks as of this morning, with the strongest recorded being 5.8 magnitudes.

The quake was centered in the sea, about 57 kilometers southeast of East Seram, and was at a depth of 19 kilometers. The agency noted that it occurred at 1:33 a.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB) or 3:33 a.m. local time.

“This shallow quake is caused by the activity of the North Seram Thrust,” reads the statement released by the agency’s head of quake and tsunami center, Daryono.

The quake resulted in strong shaking in the Waru Bay area with an intensity scale of V MMI. This intensity scale is considered destructive and the tremor could be felt by almost all residents and wake up many people.

Several areas such as Tolu Bay, Kian Darat, and East Seram were also shaken on the IV-V MMI intensity scale, as well as Bula City on the MMI IV.

The tremor also reached Fakfak in West Papua with the MMI III-IV intensity scale and several Papuan regions, including Aimas City in Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua; Teminabuan City in South Sorong Regency; and Sorong City on a weaker MMI scale.

“The modeling results show that this quake has no tsunami potential,” Daryono confirmed.

The BMKG recorded a series of aftershocks as of Monday morning, with the strongest measuring a magnitude of 5.6 at 5:37 a.m. local time and centered 51 kilometers southeast of East Seram at a depth of 16 kilometers. The aftershock was felt in Bula City on the MMI III scale.

ZACHARIAS WURAGIL

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