The 5.1 Earthquake In The Banda Sea Occurs Due To Deformation Activities Of The Banda Plate

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JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) stated that an earthquake with a magnitude update parameter (M) of 5.1 that occurred on Thursday, at 21.59 p.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB) in the Banda Sea area, Maluku, did not have the potential for a tsunami.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located at the coordinates of 6.40 degrees south latitude and 130.24 degrees east longitude or precisely located at sea at a distance of 241 km northwest of Saumlaki, Maluku at a depth of 158 km.

"The modeling results show that this earthquake does not have the potential for a tsunami," said Head of the BMKG Earthquake and Tsunami Center, Bambang Setiyo Prayitno, quoted by Antara, Thursday, June 23.

He said that taking into account the location of the epicenter and the depth of the hypocenter, the earthquake that occurred was an intermediate type of earthquake due to deformation activity in the Banda plate.

"The results of the analysis of the source mechanism show that the earthquake has an oblique thrust mechanism," he said.

Based on the estimated shock map, the earthquake caused shocks in Amahai, Central Maluku and West Southeast Maluku with an intensity scale of II-III MMI.

"Until now there has been no report of the impact of damage caused by the earthquake," he said.

BMKG appealed to the public to remain calm and not be influenced by issues that cannot be accounted for, and to avoid buildings that were cracked or damaged by the earthquake.