Megathrust Threat Appears, DKI BPBD Receives Many Requests For Earthquake Mitigation Training

Map of Indonesian megathrust. (BMKG)

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has begun to receive many requests to hold exercises regarding earthquake disaster mitigation after the threat of a megathrust earthquake emerged.

"Since the issue of this megathrust, we have tended to get a lot of requests For training or knowledge about earthquake mitigation," said Head of DKI Jakarta BPBD, Mohamad Yohan, to reporters, Thursday, September 19.

Yohan admitted that BPBD had been carrying out socialization and education activities regarding disaster mitigation. Usually, this education is carried out in the RT-RW community, kelurahan, to office buildings.

Then, since the public began to know about the potential for a megathrust earthquake, the request for education from BPBD was submitted via telephone service 112 and the official BPBD channel increased rapidly.

This, according to Yohan, proves that public awareness in dealing with disaster threats is starting to increase.

"The effect is like that, yes. With the issue of megathrust, the positive thing is that everyone is aware that we always have to be aware of this disaster," said Yohan.

Since the issue of megathrust emerged, Yohan said that BPBD has coordinated intensively with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

Thus, BPBD can inform the public more quickly about potential disasters through the early warning system for initial anticipation.

"So indeed this megathrus potential information must be conveyed. If it is not conveyed, later the impact will be more concerned about the potential," explained Yohan.

For information, megathrust is a tectonic fault type formed in the subduction zone, where one tectonic plate infiltrates under another plate.

This fracture occurs at the boundaries of the converging plate, especially between ocean plates and continental plates.

The megathrust earthquake is generally very strong and often has a large magnitude with a magnitude of 8 or more. This happens because the shift that occurs along this fault involves a very large area and releases large energy.