A 6.2 Magnitude Earthquake Struck Gorontalo, Damaging A School In Banggai, Central Sulawesi

Earthquake illustration (ANTARA)

BANGGAI - A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the Tomini Bay area of ​​Gorontalo on Wednesday, November 5, and was also strongly felt in Banggai Regency, Central Sulawesi. The tremors caused the walls and ceiling of a classroom at Tumpu Jaya 1 Elementary School in Sinorang Village, Hamlet 2, South Batui District, Banggai.

The Central Sulawesi Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) reported that one school was damaged by the earthquake, which occurred at 6:32 a.m. WITA (Central Sulawesi Time). There were no casualties in the incident.

"The situation at the location is now under control. We urge the public and students to stay away from cracked buildings and remain alert for possible aftershocks," said a Central Sulawesi BPBD official in a written statement.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded the earthquake's epicenter at sea, 65 kilometers southeast of Bone Bolango, Gorontalo, at a depth of 109 kilometers. This earthquake was classified as a moderate earthquake caused by rock deformation within the Sulawesi Sea plate and was not confirmed to have tsunami potential.

The tremor, with an intensity of III–IV on the MMI scale, was felt in Banggai, Banggai Laut, and Luwuk, causing residents to panic and rush out of their homes.

"I was delivering a package at the time, my motorbike started shaking, and my head immediately started spinning. Many people left their homes," said Awal, a Banggai resident, when met in Luwuk.

The Central Sulawesi Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) stated that the immediate need is to repair affected school facilities so that teaching and learning activities can resume normally.