Earthquake 5.7 Magnitude In The South Indian Ocean, Banten Region Has No Tsunami Potential

Map of the epicenter in the southwest of Muara Binuangeun, Banten, Thursday 17 August. (photo: ANTARA dock/HO-BMKG)

JAKARTA - Head of the Earthquake and Tsunami Center of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Daryono stated that the earthquake had a magnitude of 5.7 in the South Indian Ocean region of Java, Kab. Pandeglang, Banten, at 11.28 WIB, Thursday, did not have the potential for a tsunami. The modeling results show that this earthquake has no potential for a tsunami," said Daryono in a statement in Jakarta, Thursday, August 17. The epicenter of the earthquake is located at coordinates 7.69 South Latitude (LS) and 105.34 East Longitude (BT) or precisely located in the sea at a distance 112 kilometers southwest of Muarabinuangeun, Banten, at a depth of 50 kilometers. BMKG said that by paying attention to the location of the epicenter and the depth of its hypocenter, then the earthquake was shallow due to rock deformation in a slab of Indo-Australian plates or intraslab which was subducted under the Eurasian Plate. The analysis of the source mechanism also shows that the earthquake has an upward shear movement mechanism (oblique thrust). According to the BMKG, the earthquake impacted and was felt in the Bandung area with an intensity scale II-III MMI, namely the vibration felt real in a house with the vibration felt as if the truck was passing. The earthquake was also felt by the people of Cikembar and Bogor with intensity scale II MMI, namely vibrations felt by several people with light objects hanging swaying.

“Hingga pukul 11.50 WIB, hasil pantauan BMKG belum menunjukkan adanya aktivitas gempa bumi susulan atauaftershock,” ujar Daryono.Meski demikian ia mengimbau kepada masyarakat agar tetap tenang dan tidak terpengaruh oleh isu yang tidak dapat dipertanggungjawabkan kebenarannya.Masyarakat juga diminta untuk menghindari dari bangunan yang retak atau rusak diakibatkan oleh gempa sekaligus memeriksa dan memastikan bangunan tempat tinggal cukup tahan gempa.“Periksa dan pastikan bangunan tempat tinggal Anda cukup tahan gempa maupun tidak ada kerusakan akibat getaran gempa yang membahayakan kestabilan bangunan sebelum Anda kembali ke dalam rumah,” kata Daryono.