TEMPO.CO, Bandung – According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), a 5.2-magnitude tectonic earthquake emerged from beneath Lake Toba in North Sumatra today at the depth of 156 kilometers.
“The medium-depth earthquake could barely be felt since its hypocenter is deep under Lake Toba,” said Daryono, BMKG’s head of information and early warning.
He further explained that the earthquake was detected at 12:40 Western Indonesia Time (WIB), and was centered at the coordinates of 2.39 north latitude and 99.08 east longitude.
“It was exactly under Lake Toba, 12 kilometers north of Balige City, Toba Samosir regency in North Sumatra,” Daryono explained.
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Daryono said the cause of the earthquake was pinned-down to the Indo-Australian plate's subduction with the Eurasian plate. The earth’s deformation caused the subduction lane that is already dipping at the Benioff zone.
BMKG announced that the earthquake has not affected Lake Toba and reminded residents living in its vicinity to stay calm since it has no destructive effect on the surface.
ANWAR SISWADI (Contributor)
