"Responding to the potential danger of earthquakes, the BNPB appeals to local governments and residents to always be vigilant by ensuring the structure of buildings is in good condition," Head of the BNPB Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, stated here on Tuesday.
Muhari explained that the 6.0-magnitude earthquake occurred at a depth of 75 km underwater on Tuesday at 8:25 a.m. local time, with the epicenter recorded 74 km northwest of North Timor Tengah District.
According to the BNPB report, the earthquake did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami.
"The North Timor Tengah Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) said that residents felt the shaking with moderate intensity. The vibrations lasted for one to three seconds," Muhari stated.
According to the BPBD officers that conducted monitoring, the residents quickly fled their houses during the earthquake.
So far, no damage or losses have been reported.
The residents of Kefamenanu, Soe, Alor, Lembata, and Maumere regions felt the shocks at an intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) II-III, meaning that the residents could feel the tremors indoors and as though a truck were passing by.
Meanwhile, the residents of Kupang, Ende, and Atambua felt the quake at MMI scale II, meaning that the vibrations were likely to cause hanging light objects to sway.
Furthermore, Muhari reminded that the districts of North Timor Tengah and South Timor Tengah have moderate to high risks of earthquakes.
Based on BNPB's inaRISK analysis, as many as 24 sub-districts in North Timor Tengah and 32 sub-districts in South Timor Tengah are vulnerable to earthquakes.
"Residents are advised to not be influenced by false news or hoaxes that circulate during crisis or disaster events," he stated.
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Translator: Devi R, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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