TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As many as 2,104 people were evacuated after Banjarnegara in Central Java was shocked by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake on Wednesday noon, April 18.
“The people taking refuge are from 526 families,” said the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho in a press release.
The hypocenter was at the depth of four kilometers and 52 kilometers north of Kebumen in Central Java. The cause of the earthquake according to the BNPB was sparked by loose soil in the region added by the shallow earthquake's center.
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The evacuees are spread across several locations in fourth villages at the Kalibening District, which is the region that was hit the hardest, that include Kasinoman, Kertosari, Plorengan, and Sidakangen.
According to the BNPB, the damages affected 316 houses within three villages. “The number would likely rise considering it’s still being identified,” said Sutopo.
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Furthermore, BNPB said that rescue efforts are being conducted by 180 people in a joint force from the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police, and Red Cross Indonesia.
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