BMKG Notes On The History Of 8 Destructive Earthquakes In The Sunda Strait

As a result of an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 which was centered in the southwest of Sumur Subdistrict, Pandeglang Regency, Friday, a number of houses and other public facilities were damaged. (ANTARA/Doc. Banten Police)

JAKARTA - Head of BMKG Dwikorita Karnawati explained the historical record of eight destructive earthquakes around the Sunda/Banten Strait, starting from the period 1851 to August 2019, before the 6.6 M earthquake shook on Friday, January 14.

"We need to convey that based on historical records of earthquakes, from 1851 to 2019, there have been several earthquakes in the area," said Dwikorita, quoted by Antara, Friday, January 14.

Dwikorita detailed that in May 1851 a strong earthquake around Betung Bay and the Sunda Strait caused a tsunami wave as high as 1.5 meters, but there was no report on how strong it was. Then on January 9, 1852, an earthquake of unknown strength caused a small tsunami.

On 27 August 1883, there was a tsunami above 30 meters due to the eruption of Mount Krakatoa. Then on February 23, 1903, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 was centered in the south of the Sunda Strait and caused damage in Banten.

On March 26, 1928, a small tsunami was observed in the Sunda Strait after a strong earthquake, but it is not known how strong the tremor was. On April 22, 1958, there was a strong earthquake in the Sunda Strait accompanied by a rising sea level/tsunami.

On December 22, 2018, an avalanche occurred due to the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau which caused a tsunami. Finally, on August 2, 2019, there was a destructive 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Banten and a tsunami occurred.

Considering that the area around Banten/Sunda Strait often experiences earthquakes with destructive power, Dwikorita requested that buildings around the area be built using earthquake-resistant building construction to avoid the risk of damage.

"In addition, it must also be equipped with evacuation routes and places," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the BMKG Earthquake and Tsunami Center, Bambang Setiyo Prayitno, said that Indonesia is an area where plates meet so that it is prone to earthquakes.

According to him, people should build earthquake-resistant housing. In addition, after the 6.6 M earthquake on Friday, the public was asked to check the condition of the building and if they found any damage and could potentially be damaged, to evacuate temporarily.

"This earthquake doesn't kill, but what kills is the impact of buildings that are less strong and so on, this is very dangerous, so please pay attention to it carefully," he said.