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News > Indonesia

Earthquake in Western Indonesia, Residents Flee Coastal Areas

  • Houses after earthquake in Indonesia. Apr. 25, 2023.

    Houses after earthquake in Indonesia. Apr. 25, 2023. | Photo: Twitter/@sunaina_bhola

Published 25 April 2023
Opinion

"...the earthquake had a depth of 84 km beneath the seabed..."

A seismic activity measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale jolted West Sumatra, Indonesia, and bore the possibility to provoke a tsunami. Upon this event, the meteorological agency and local authorities advised coastal inhabitants to evacuate.

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The seismic event occurred at 3:00 a.m. Jakarta's time on Tuesday (equivalent to 2000 GMT on Monday). As reported by the meteorology, climatology, and geophysics agency of the country, the earthquake’s epicenter was situated at a distance of 177 km towards the northwest of Mentawai Islands district. Furthermore, the earthquake had a depth of 84 km beneath the seabed.

The agency has issued a warning for a tsunami after revising the initial seismic magnitude of 7.3 to 6.9.

According to Amir Ahmari, the leader of the emergency and logistics division of the disaster management and mitigation agency in Mentawai district, more than 2,000 residents have vacated the coastal regions and are relocating to higher elevations in the sub-districts of Siberut Barat (West Siberut) and Siberut Utara (North Siberut), situated in the Mentawai Islands district.

"The tremors were strongly felt in the Siberut Barat and Siberut Utara sub-districts. The residents there rushed to higher grounds," said Ahmari.

According to the official, initial reports on damages or casualties have not yet been received. However, a continual evaluation of potential hazards shall be conducted henceforth.

According to Abdul Muhari, spokesperson of the National Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency, a lack of injuries, casualties, and damages has been observed thus far following the earthquake, as per visual inspections.

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