BMKG Recorded 4 Times Aftershock Occurred in Mentawai, West Sumatra After a 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake

Earthquake point M 6.1 Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Sunday (11/9/2022). (ANTARA/HO-BMKG)

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported an earthquake measuring magnitude (M) 6.1 in the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra today followed by four aftershocks.

"There are four aftershocks with the largest magnitude 5.3 and the smallest 4.2," said the Acting Head of the BMKG Earthquake and Tsunami Center Daryono in Jakarta, Antara, Sunday, September 11.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located at coordinates 1.18° South Latitude; 98.53° East Longitude, or precisely located on land in the West Siberut region, Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra at a depth of 27 km.

The earthquake that occurred was a shallow earthquake due to plate subduction activity in the Mentawai - Siberut Megathrust zone.

The results of the analysis of the source mechanism show that the earthquake has a thrust fault mechanism.

This earthquake had an impact and was felt in the North Siberut area with an intensity scale of V MMI (the vibration was felt by almost all residents, many people woke up), the Sagulubeg area, West Siberut, Sikabaluan, Tuapejat with an intensity scale of IV-V MMI (The vibration was felt by almost all residents, people many awakened), the area of ​​Padang, Padang Panjang, Painan, West Pasaman with an intensity scale III-IV MMI (if it is felt by many people in the house during the day).

The West Sumatra region has been rocked 5 times by destructive earthquakes. Among them were the M 6.3 earthquake on February 4, 1971, which damaged several buildings; two M 6.3 earthquakes on March 6, 2007, with 67 fatalities; M 5 earthquake on 10 September 2014 with 4 injuries and building damage; The M 6.2 earthquake on September 1, 2017, caused 11 houses to be damaged.