Middle Mamuju Shaken By An M5.1 Earthquake, Residents Panic

Illustration (Photo: BNPB)

JAKARTA - Today's earthquake rocked Central Mamuju and its surroundings at around 6:41 WIB. An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 did not have the potential for a tsunami, but it had made residents of Mamuju Tengah, West Sulawesi, panic.

The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Central Mamuju Regency is still monitoring the situation in the field after the earthquake. The local BPBD secretary Awal said that the earthquake was felt strong.

"Residents in the coastal area panicked, there were no reports of damage. The BPBD Rapid Reaction Team is monitoring it in the field, "Awal said via short message, Saturday, November 7.

Meanwhile, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) released earthquake parameters M5.1 with a depth of 10 km. The earthquake point was on land, about 21 km northwest of Mamuju Tengah, West Sulawesi. In addition, BMKG informed that the modeling results indicated that this earthquake had no potential for a tsunami.

Based on the analysis of shocks on the MMI scale, the earthquake was felt in Mamuju Tengah III-IV MMI and Mamuju Utara, Mamuju and Pasangkayu III MMI.

Looking at the location of the epicenter and the depth of the hypocenter, the earthquake that occurred was a type of shallow earthquake due to the activity of the Mamuju Fault or Mamuju Thrust. The results of the analysis of the source mechanism show that this earthquake has a thrust-fault movement mechanism.

Based on the risk analysis, Kabupaten Mamuju Tengah is included in the category of moderate to high earthquake hazard classes. A total of 5 sub-districts are located in the area with a risk area of around 39,000 hectares, while the population exposed to moderate to high earthquake hazards is 58,671 people.

After the incident, BNPB continued to coordinate with the BPBD of Mamuju Regency. This step is to anticipate emergency handling that must be done early on. The public is urged to be alert and prepared for earthquakes, especially in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Make preparedness efforts in the middle of the family so that you avoid greater risks.