The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 125 kilometers southwest of Pangandaran at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
Pangandaran has repeatedly been jolted by earthquakes over the past few years.
On October 25, 2020, for instance, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake rocked southwest of the district damaging a house in Kertaharja Hamlet, Ciamis District, West Java.
Tremors of the 5.9-magnitude earthquake were felt by many residents in several parts of West Java, Central Java, and Yogyakarta Provinces.
The areas of Pangandaran District were rocked by a deadly earthquake of magnitude 6.8 on July 17, 2006.
The earthquake reportedly triggered a five-meter-high tsunami which paralyzed many houses on coastal areas and killed at least 668 people.
Earthquakes regularly rock various parts of Indonesia due to the fact that the country 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.
On November 21, 2022, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake jolted Cianjur District in West Java Province at 1:21 p.m. local time.
The quake reportedly affected 169 villages, damaged 56,548 houses, and claimed the lives of 600 residents.
The deadliest ever earthquake, followed by tsunami, in Indonesia was the one that struck Aceh Province on December 26, 2004.
The catastrophe that also affected certain coastal areas in countries, such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India, reportedly killed some 230 thousand people.
One of the deadliest earthquakes in the country in the past five years was the one that rocked several areas of Central Sulawesi Province in 2018.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake, which was followed by a tsunami that struck Palu city and the districts of Donggala, Parigi Moutong, and Sigi on September 28, 2018, claimed 2,102 lives, injured 4,612, and left 680 others missing.
A total of 68,451 homes were seriously damaged and 78,994 people were displaced by the quake.
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Translator: Gilang G, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Anton Santoso
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