7.2 Magnitude Earthquake In West Nias, Residents Panic And Leave Their Houses

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JAKARTA - An earthquake occurred in West Nias Regency, North Sumatra. The quake shook with a magnitude of 7.2.

The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of West Nias Regency stated that this earthquake is not a potential tsunami. However, the earthquake had panicked people.

"People are panicking and leaving their homes", said Head of Sub Division of Directorate of Emergency Response BPBD West Nias, Hiramo, through his statement, Friday, May 14.

He said that the rapid reaction team of BPBD of West Nias Regency is currently conducting a quick review and coordinating with relevant agencies and parties.

"Until this press release is published, there have been no reports of casualties or material losses", he said.

Based on seismogram footage from the Meteorological Agency for Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG), the epicenter of the West Nias earthquake was at 0.10 LU and 96.53 BT at sea at a depth of 19 kilometers.

If drawn in a straight line, then the epicenter distance is 141 kilometers southwest of West Nias, 151 kilometers southwest of South Nias, 172 kilometers southwest of Nias, 455 kilometers southwest of Medan, and 1,339 kilometers northwest of Jakarta.

On Thursday, May 13, an earthquake also struck Melonguane Regency, North Sulawesi with a magnitude of 5.6. BMKG recorded the earthquake that occurred at 01.20 WIB with the epicenter at coordinates 4.02 north latitude and 128.6 east longitude or 213 kilometers northeast of Melonguane.