Viral BMKG Letter of a 7.5 Magnitude Earthquake is a Hoax
23 January 2018 20:48 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned the public that the viral message of an impending 7.5 magnitude aftershock is a hoax.
Head of BMKG Climate Analysis and Information Adi Ripaldi said that there are no signs that suggest an aftershock will hit the Banten area anytime soon. “It’s a hoax,” said Ripaldi on Tuesday, January 23.
Read: Jakarta Quake: BMKG Says Aftershocks Possible
A falsified letter went viral through social media which warned about an impending 7.5 magnitude earthquake will hit Banten. The letter is originally a warning for high waves on Indonesian waters that had its caption edited.
“That’s a letter about wave forecast, not earthquake forecast. Someone has edited the caption,” said Adi.
Earlier today, BMKG reported that a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit Jakarta and Banten area. The epicenter of the quake was at 43 kilometers south of Muarabinuangeun city, Banten Province, at the depth of 61 kilometers.
Up to 13:46 PM Indonesian Western Time, BMKG has yet to obtain any official records suggesting that an aftershock would take place in the near future.
Muhammad Hendartyo
