A moderate earthquake struck parts of Java, Indonesia’s main island, and the capital city on Sunday evening. There have been no reports of injuries or damage thus far.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake was shallow and had a preliminary magnitude of 5.6. It was located 37.2 kilometers (23.11 miles) below the surface and the epicenter was 80 kilometers (29 miles) west-southwest of Pelabuhanratu, a town on the coast of West Java province.

The initial magnitude of the earthquake in Indonesia, as measured by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency, was 5.7, with a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). It is common for there to be discrepancies in early measurements of earthquakes.

According to Daryono, the head of the agency’s Earthquake and Tsunami Center, the earthquake was strongly felt in numerous cities and villages, causing panic among some residents.

Daryono, like many Indonesians, goes by a single name. He stated that there is no risk of a tsunami, but cautioned about potential aftershocks.

Tall buildings in Jakarta, the primary city, moved back and forth for a few moments, while even smaller homes in the West Java province’s main city of Bandung experienced strong shaking, and the nearby cities of Bogor and Bekasi also felt the effects.

Earthquakes are a common occurrence in the vast archipelago nation, but it is rare for them to be felt in Jakarta.

Indonesia, a seismically active archipelago of 270 million people, is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on major geological faults known as the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”

Last year, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake in Cianjur, West Java caused the deaths of at least 602 individuals. This was the most fatal earthquake in Indonesia since the 2018 earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi, which claimed the lives of over 4,300 people.

In 2004, a highly potent earthquake in the Indian Ocean caused a tsunami that resulted in the death of over 230,000 individuals in twelve nations, primarily in Indonesia’s Aceh province.

Source: wral.com