Houses In 5 Villages In North Halmahera Damaged By The 5.2 M Earthquake

Illustration of the impact of the earthquake in Indonesia. (Between)

HALMAHERA- Several houses in five villages in the North Halmahera Regency were damaged by an earthquake measuring 5.2 on Monday, April 18.

The five villages are Ngidiho Village and Dokulamo Village in West Galela District as well as Towara Village, Barataku Village, and Simau Village in Galela District.

"Due to the 5.2 magnitude earthquake in North Halmahera, it is currently recorded that several houses in five villages have suffered heavy and light damage", said the Head of Emergency and Logistics Division of North Halmahera Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Heny Tonga, when contacted in Ternate, Monday, April 18.

Heny stated that the villages affected by the earthquake were in Galela and West Galela sub-districts, including Dokolamo Village 15 houses were heavily damaged, Barataku Village 12 houses were heavily damaged, 21 lightly damaged, Ngidiho Village 25 houses were heavily damaged, Simau Village 8 houses were heavily damaged, 11 houses were slightly damaged and one unit of worship place in Ngidiho Village was heavily damaged.

In addition, said Heny, the material losses cannot be detailed because they are currently being collected.

North Halmahera Regency BPBD continues to collect data and urges affected residents not to return home but to evacuate to a safer place. Currently, BPBD is focused on providing temporary shelter for residents affected by the earthquake.

Meanwhile, the Head of the BMKG Earthquake and Tsunami Center, Bambang Setiyo Prayitno, said Monday's earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 occurred at around 12.04.58 WIT and did not have the potential for a tsunami.

"The results of the BMKG analysis show that this earthquake has an updated parameter with a magnitude of 5.0. The epicenter of the earthquake is located at coordinates 1.97° North Latitude; 127.83° East Longitude, or precisely located on land in the North Galela region, North Halmahera, and North Maluku on the depth of 116 km", he said.

Meanwhile, the type and mechanism of the earthquake by taking into account the location of the epicenter and the depth of the hypocenter of the earthquake that occurred was an intermediate type of earthquake due to the subduction activity of the Maluku Sea Plate.

The results of the analysis of the source mechanism show that the earthquake has an upward shear movement mechanism.

He added that this earthquake had an impact and was felt in the Galela area with an intensity scale of IV MMI (when it is felt by many people in the house) and the Tobelo area with an intensity scale of II-III MMI. (Vibrations are felt by some people, light objects that are hung sway).

Until now, there have been reports of the impact of damage in the Ngidiho Village area, West Galela District, North Halmahera Regency.