Aftershocks In Sumedang, Acting Governor Of West Java: Total Refugees Reach 518 People

Acting Governor of West Java Bey Winhi Machmudin gave information after a review of the Tanjung Water Tunnel, Bandung Regency, Tuesday (2/1/2024). (ANTARA/Ricky Prayoga)

The aftershock occurred again in Sumedang on January 1, 2024 at around 20.46 WIB with a magnitude of 4.5. The earthquake caused additional buildings to be damaged and refugees. Now it is recorded that around 400 houses were damaged and about 500 people fled to a safe place. "Yes, yesterday there was another earthquake and there was some more damage to houses and a total of 518 refugees," said Acting Governor of West Java (West Java) Beyxi Machmudin in Bandung Regency, as reported by Antara, Tuesday, January 2. In addition to 518 refugees, he continued that the earthquake that occurred in early 2024 caused minor damage to 303 houses, 92 houses were moderately damaged, and 69 houses were heavily damaged, and 14 educational facilities and seven places of worship and public facilities were also damaged. "That's temporary, and now it's an emergency response status. So it means that later the government will be more flexible in handling, including budget support," said Bey Machmudin. The West Java Provincial Government and Sumedang Regency Government are working together to handle Regional General Hospitals (RSUD) as well as other facilities that are reported to have experienced a breakthrough in the structure of the building due to the earthquake. The results of the assessment, said Bey, were that the patients could return to the opname room and so on. But due to another earthquake, many patients felt traumatized even though the hospital was technically in good condition. For patients who have to be treated outside the hospital building, his party has coordinated with the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) to immediately send aid for health standard tents for treatment and operations. "They 48 patients returned to the tent. And today the Ministry of Health will send two tents for opname and one for operating room tents, which are standard health, not refugee tents, used for patients, special hospital tents," said Bey. Regarding the Cisumdawu Toll tunnel which was cracked due to the earthquake, Bey said there were no further reports of the latest damage and still using an assessment from the Ministry of PUPR which stated that the tunnel was safe to use. "No, there is no (new damage) and it is certain and the Ministry of PUPR guarantees that it is safe and can be passed," said Bey Machmudin. Previously, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said that shallow earthquakes again rocked Sumedang Regency with a magnitude of 4.5 at a depth of 10 km. The earthquake, which occurred at 20.46.48 WIB, was centered on coordinates 6.82 South Latitude (LS) and 107.92 East Longitude (BT) or precisely located on land at a distance of 4 km north of Sumedang Regency. The earthquake was felt in Rancakalong, Jatinangor, Bandung, on the MMI III intensity scale (Modified Mercally Intensity). This means that the vibration is felt real in the house, the vibration feels as if a truck has passed. The earthquake was also felt in Cirebon, Garut, and Subang, in the MMI II Intensity Scale where vibrations were felt by several people, light objects that were hung swayed.

This is the sixth earthquake in Sumedang, where on December 31, 2023, an earthquake measuring 4.8 magnitudes with an initial earthquake and aftershocks caused 138 houses to be lightly damaged, 110 houses heavily damaged, 456 residents displaced, then 11 people suffered minor injuries with two of them being treated at Sumedang Hospital and Santosa Hospital Bandung.