We, however, have yet to receive any report of damages in the aftermath of the quakeSukabumi, W Java (ANTARA) - Sukabumi's Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) called on the city's residents to report any damage to their houses following the 5.9-magnitude earthquake that jolted Bayah District in Banten Province on Wednesday.
If the earthquake had caused damages to houses, the agency's head, Novian Rahmat, urged the affected residents to inform the BPBD personnel or those from community and neighborhood units to enable them to take immediate assistance.
"We, however, have yet to receive any report of damages in the aftermath of the quake," Rahmat noted while calling on the city's residents to stay calm but remain cautious of likely aftershocks.
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that a 5.9-magnitude earthquake had rocked Bayah District in Banten on Wednesday at 7:53 a.m. local time.
Related news: Banten's Bayah District struck by 5.9-magnitude quake
The agency noted that the quake's epicenter was located about 72 kilometers away from southwest of Dayah District at a depth of 74 kilometers, and its tremor could be felt as far as Sukabumi, West Java.
The earthquake occurred four days after Sumedang District in West Java was jolted by a series of shallow earthquakes.
The shallow quakes, whose highest magnitude was measured at 4.8, damaged 248 houses and displaced 456 residents.
The earthquakes also forced medical personnel at Sumedang Public Hospital to evacuate 108 patients to the hospital's front yards and backyards.
Earthquakes have repeatedly jolted Banten's areas. On August 2, 2019, for instance, a quake of magnitude 6.9 rocked Sumur area in Pandeglang District, damaging several buildings.
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The quake's epicenter was located at 7.54 degrees southern latitude and 104.58 degrees eastern longitude, at a depth of 10 km below sea level, and 147 km southwest of Sumur, or 164 km southwest of Pandeglang.
Earthquakes regularly rock several parts of Indonesia since 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 December 26, 2004, Aceh, the country's westernmost province, experienced the deadliest earthquake ever on record. The quake had a magnitude of 9.3 and was followed by a tsunami.
The catastrophe, which also affected certain coastal areas in countries, such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India, reportedly killed at least 230 thousand people in Aceh.
Related news: Sumedang quake: Govt gives waiting funds for heavily damaged houses
Translator: Aditia AR, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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