Semarang Regency Was Rocked By A Series Of Earthquakes, Hanging Objects Were Swayed

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded a series of earthquakes in Salatiga, Banyubiru, Bawen, and Ambarawa Central Java Province since Saturday morning at 00.32 a.m. local time triggered by an active fault.

"It is strongly suspected that the source of the active fault earthquake that triggered this earthquake was the Merbabu Merapi Telomoyo Fault," said BMKG Earthquake and Tsunami Mitigation Coordinator Daryono in Jakarta, Saturday, October 23.

Quoted from ANTARA, the earthquake's epicenter was located at coordinates 7.296 South Latitude and 110.38568 East Longitude, precisely on land at a distance of 13 km northwest of Salatiga City with a hypocenter depth of 6 km.

The results of the BMKG analysis show that the earthquake had a magnitude of 3.0 followed by seven series of aftershocks, with a magnitude of 2.9 then 2.5 then 2.6 and 2.1, and 3.0 and 2.7 which occurred at 6:44.56 a.m.

As of Saturday at 06.00 a.m., there have been no reports of damage to buildings as a result of the earthquake. Based on the BMKG shake map, it appears that the impact of the earthquake in the form of shocks was felt in Ambarawa, Salatiga, Banyubiru, and Bawen on the MMI II intensity scale where the shock was felt by many people and light objects that were hung swayed.

Daryono said that the entire series of earthquakes, both the main earthquake and the seven aftershocks, was centered in the Mount Telomoyo complex.

Mount Telomoyo is a mountain located in Semarang Regency and Magelang Regency. The mountain with an altitude of 1.894 meters above sea level is a strato-shaped volcano but has never been recorded to erupt.

"Given that the Salatiga, Banyubiru, Bawen, and Ambarwa areas are close to the source of active fault earthquakes, namely the Merapi Merbabu Fault and the Rawa Pening Fault, it is necessary to conduct earthquake mitigation education such as the importance of building earthquake-resistant or earthquake-friendly buildings, understanding how to survive an earthquake. "Because strong earthquakes can occur at any time from the closest active fault source," said Daryono.

Aftershocks with a magnitude of 3.0 still hit the Ambarawa area, Semarang Regency, Central Java, and the surrounding area on Saturday morning. The earthquake shock itself, he continued, was felt in Ambarawa. "Some people felt the vibrations, light objects that were hanging swayed," he said.

In the historical record of strong and destructive earthquakes, the Salatiga, Banyubiru, and Ambarawa regions have experienced several significant earthquakes, namely the Semarang, Salatiga, and Ambarawa earthquakes on September 24, 1849.