BMKG: History Of Recording 14 Times Of Earthquakes Damaged Occurrence In Cianjur-Sukabumi, First Year 1844

BMKG installed a water level on the island near Mount Anak Krakatau to monitor tsunami waves in the Sunda Strait due to the earthquake. (Between-Sigid K)

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said that history recorded 14 destructive earthquakes that occurred in the Cianjur-Sukabumi area.

"For the first time, the Cianjur-Sukabumi earthquake was recorded in 1844. Before 1844 there had also been an earthquake, but it was not recorded," said Head of the BMKG Earthquake and Tsunami Center, Daryono in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Tuesday, November 22.

He said the 5.6 magnitude earthquake that rocked the Cianjur area, West Java on Monday, November 21, was one of the destructive earthquakes.

He added that the Cianjur-Sukabumi earthquake that caused damage was also recorded in 1879, 1900, 1910, and 1912.

Furthermore, said Daryono, on November 2, 1969, the Cianjur-Sukabumi earthquake had a magnitude of 5.4 which caused damage to houses.

On November 26, 1973, the Cianjur-Sukabumi earthquake also damaged many houses in Cibadak, Sukabumi. Then, on February 10, 1982, an earthquake measuring M5.5 caused many houses to be damaged and fatalities.

On July 12, 2000, the Cianjur-Sukabumi earthquake measuring M5.4 and 5.1 caused 1,900 houses to be heavily damaged in Cidahu, Cibadak, Parakansalak, Gegerbitung, Sukaraja, Cikembar, Kududampit, Cicurug, Nagrak, Parungkuda, Sukabumi, Cisaat, Warungkiara, Kalapanunggal, Nyalindung, Cikadang, and Kabandungan.

On June 12, 2011, the Cianjur-Sukabumi earthquake measuring M4.9 resulted in 136 damaged houses in Lebak and Sukabumi.

On June 4, 2012, Daryono continued, it was recorded as the largest magnitude earthquake in the Cianjur-Sukabumi area, reaching a magnitude of 6.1.

"The earthquake damaged 104 houses in Sukabumi," he said.

In the same year, he continued, on September 8, 2012, there was also an M5.1 earthquake that caused 560 houses to be damaged in Sukabumi.

On March 11, 2020, an earthquake measuring M5.1 damaged 760 houses in Sukabumi, and on November 14, 2022, there were three earthquakes that occurred successively with the magnitudes of M4.1, M3,3, and M2.6.

Daryono revealed that the Sukabumi, Cianjur, Lembang, Purwakarta, Bandung areas are tectonically active and complex seismic areas that make the area prone to earthquakes.

"It is called an active seismic, because the results of BMKG monitors in the area often occur with various variations and depths," he said.

Regarding complexity, he continued, the area is an active earthquake lane area such as the presence of faults or faults in Cimandiri, Padalarang, Lembang, Cirata, and many other minor faults in the region.

"So, the area becomes an earthquake area permanently," he said.