BRIN Expert: A Potential Cianjur Earthquake Damages Infrastructure Because It Is Denyal

Illustration of Photo by Shefali Lincoln on Unsplash

JAKARTA - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) said an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 that hit the southwestern region of Cianjur Regency, West Java, had the potential for damage. However, it is not related to the potential for a megathrust earthquake in South Java.

"Because this earthquake is shallow, it has the potential to damage infrastructure, houses, or settlements, around the epicenter," said BRIN tsunami expert Widjo Kongko when contacted by ANTARA in Jakarta, Monday, November 21.

The West Java region in the South and Southwest of Sumatra holds the potential for a megathrust earthquake. Although it is not known when the earthquake will occur, Widjo said he must be alert to the threat of a tsunami and mitigation efforts need to be more serious and immediately carried out.

"The earthquake that just happened is not directly related to the potential for a megathrust earthquake," said Widjo.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 hit the southwest region of Cianjur Regency, West Java on Monday at 13.21 WIB as announced by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

The epicenter of the earthquake was at coordinates 6.84 South Latitude and 107.05 East Longitude, about 10 kilometers southwest of Cianjur Regency, at a depth of 10 km.

Widjo said the earthquake was related to local faults around the epicenter. However, we are still waiting for information or analysis from the BMKG to explain the fault

"What target, no information or analysis yet. We are waiting for the BMKG," he said.

According to BMKG, the earthquake with the tremors felt in the areas of Jakarta, Bekasi, and Bogor did not have the potential to cause a tsunami.