The Kupang Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded that the epicenter of the earthquake that hit the resort island at 7:40 a.m. local time was located some 18 kilometers (km) away from southeast of Kefamenanu, at a depth of 29 km.
According to the agency's seismologist, Robert Owen Wahyu, the earthquake that occurred on land might be related to the Belu Fault activities in the southeastern part of Kefamenanu, the capital city of Timor Tengah Utara District.
He confirmed that the quake did not trigger a tsunami, and no immediate reports of casualties and damage were received.
Wahyu also called on the local residents to remain calm and to not be affected by misleading rumors related to today's earthquake.
Indonesia lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.
As a result, several parts of the archipelago are prone to earthquakes, including the deadly earthquakes in Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara Province, and Palu, the capital city of Central Sulawesi Province.
During 2018, Indonesia was hit by a total of 11,577 earthquakes, including several of them that caused serious casualties, with the number increasing significantly as compared to that in 2017.
According to BMKG Head Dwikorita Karnawati, the number of earthquakes that occurred in 2018 increased, from some six thousand, on an average, prior to 2018, to over 10 thousand, on an average, in 2018.
Several of the events related to earthquakes that had hit Indonesia last year were never witnessed before, such as the liquefaction in Palu, the tsunami that struck earlier than the issuance of a warning in Palu, and the Sunda Strait Tsunami, she pointed out.
The Sunda Strait Tsunami, which struck certain coastal areas of the provinces of Banten and Lampung following the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau on December 22, 2018, killed 437 people and seriously affected the lives of residents in the disaster zones.
Reporting by Bernadus Tokan, Rahmad Nasution
Translator: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Gusti Nur Cahya Aryani
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
