4.8 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Banten

BANTEN - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported an earthquake measuring 4.8 magnitudes struck southwest of Bayah, Lebak Regency, Banten Province, Monday, February 28 at 22.38 western Indonesia time.

Reporting from the www.bmkg.go.id page in Jakarta, the epicenter of the earthquake was in the sea 49 kilometers southwest of Bayah at a depth of 28 kilometers.

The BMKG reported that the tremor was not only felt in a number of areas in Banten, such as Jiput Village, Cimanggu District, Carita District, Labuan District, and Bayah District, but also border areas in Cisolok, Sukabumi, West Java.

In recent years, the Banten region has been repeatedly rocked by earthquakes. On February 4, 2022, for example, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 also rocked the Bayah area. Then, on Saturday (26/2) at around 05.38 western Indonesia time, an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.6 struck Muara Binuangeun.

Indonesia is included in a natural disaster-prone area in the world because it is located in the Pacific circle of fire as an area that often experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that surround the Pacific Ocean basin.

The area is generally shaped like a horseshoe and covers an area of 40,000 km. This area is also often referred to as the Pacific earthquake belt.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 was reported to have struck Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Monday night. The epicenter of the earthquake at sea, 55 kilometers northeast of Ruteng City, Manggarai, took place at around 21.16 western Indonesia time.

Last February 25, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 rocked the West Pasaman Regency, West Sumatra Province. The natural disaster damaged 1,366 housing units and forced eight thousand residents to evacuate.

According to the local government, the earthquake that damaged six schools, four health facilities and roads in Talamau District also killed six residents and left 64 others seriously, moderately and lightly injured.