This Is The Reason BMKG Updated West Nias Earthquake Strength With Magnitude Of 7.2 to 6.7

JAKARTA - Head of Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Dwikorita Karnawati explained why it upgraded the strength of the earthquake in West Nias Regency today from the initial magnitude of 7.2 to 6.7.

Dwikorita said that Indonesia, Japan, Australia, and India have the obligation and responsibility to issue tsunami early warning in the event of an earthquake.

"Japan, Indonesia, Australia, and India's policy is that speed is number one, not accuracy. Our job is to provide information as early as possible so that rescues can be done immediately", Dwikorita said in a virtual press conference, Friday, May 14.

The four countries are expected to provide earthquake information in the third minute after the incident. Unlike the earthquake information system in the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in the United States that issued information in the fifteenth minute and Germany in the twentieth minute that was not required to provide tsunami early warning.

At the third minute, Diwikorita said the earthquake sensor data received was not stable, so there is a possibility of differences in earthquake strength. However, because it is in the interests of safety, it must be issued first.

"Our important policy is the first scenario, so we take it out first in the third minute. If we wait for the fifteenth minute to stabilize, the casualties are too many. Moreover, this is for tsunami early warning", explained Dwikorita.

"Tsunamis can come in the minutes before. So, there is no point in the term tsunami early warning if waiting for the stable at the fifteenth minute", she continued.

For information, BMKG reported an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 which was later upgraded to magnitude 6.7 off the west coast of West Nias Regency, North Sumatra. This earthquake is not a potential tsunami.

The type and mechanism of the earthquake is a shallow earthquake located in the outer-rise zone, taking into account the location of the epicenter and the depth of the hypocenter.

At that time, residents felt a strong shock when the earthquake occurred. Residents panicked as they exited their homes to secure themselves. Residents felt a strong shock for 4 to 5 seconds. To date, there have been no reports of damage or casualties.

The epicenter was located at coordinates 0.2 north latitude (LU) and 96.69 east longitude (BT), or precisely located in the sea at a distance of 125 kilometers southwest of Lahomi City, West Nias Regency, North Sumatra at a depth of 10 kilometers.

The earthquake shock was felt in Gunung Sitoli, Nias III-IV MMI Regency (if during the day it is felt by the crowds in the house); Banda Aceh III MMI (vibration felt real in the house, felt as if the truck passed); Aek Godang, Central Aceh II MMI (vibration felt by some people, light objects hung swaying).