Magnitude 5.8 Quake Struck Gunungkidul, Mount Merapi Not Affected

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta on early Wednesday, August 29 at 01:36 local times.

“The epicenter is at the sea about 112 kilometers southwest of Gunungkidul,” The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said in its Twitter official account today, August 29.

The quake hit at a depth of 10 kilometers and located precisely at 8.97 degrees south latitude and 110.23 degrees east longitude. No tsunami alert has been issued.

BMKG explained the tremor was felt in a scale of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) III in Bantul, while it was felt lighter in Yogyakarta, Karanganyar, and Karangkates (MMI II-III scale) as well as in Wonogiri, Banjarnegara, Purworejo, Trenggalek, and Sawahan (MMI I-II scale).

The earthquake was recorded at the seismic station of Mount Merapi. However, the Center of Geological Disaster Technology (BPPTKG) Yogyakarta via its social media account said the tremor did not affect the mount activity.

Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, August 28, BMKG noted a magnitude 5.8 earthquake at a depth of 105 kilometers southeast of Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara province. Several minutes after, another magnitude 6.2 quake hit the same area.

SYAFIUL HADI