"The potential for a major earthquake in the Mentawai megathrust zone remains a threat that we must all be vigilant about," Ruseimy said in Padang on Wednesday.
Ruseimy made the statement while giving direction to several agencies participating in a national megathrust preparedness simulation in Padang City, West Sumatra Province.
According to Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) records, he said, the West Sumatra region is shaken by thousands of earthquakes every year since it's located within the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Thus, the provincial government emphasized that disaster mitigation continuously becomes the top priority, he said.
By preparing for the megathrust through a national simulation, the Deputy Governor urged the public to be more aware of the steps to take in the event of a disaster.
"This preparation simulation is essential for optimizing disaster management in the health cluster, particularly for earthquakes and tsunamis, so that casualties can be minimized," he said.
Not only to prepare for the megathrust fault, Ruseimy also warned people about other threats, such as the Sumatran Fault or the Semangko Fault, which runs through Aceh and Lampung Province.
On that occasion, Ruseimy reiterated that West Sumatra has been struck by several major earthquakes that have claimed thousands of lives, such as the earthquake in the Mentawai Islands District on March 10, 2007, with magnitudes of 6.3 and 6.4, which killed 66 people.
On September 30, 2009, another earthquake devastated West Sumatra, with a magnitude of 7.6, which killed more than 1,100 and injured more than 4,000 people. Then on February 25, 2022, an earthquake in Pasaman and West Pasaman Districts with a magnitude of 6.2 killed 25 people.
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Translator: Muhammad Zulfikar, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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