Indonesia, Earthquake in West Java

A magnitude-4.9 earthquake rocking some western parts of West Java on Tuesday afternoon injured at least three people and damaged more than 200 houses across the province. According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the earthquake struck at 5:18 p.m. on Tuesday, with an epicenter located 13 kilometers northwest of Sukabumi regency at a depth of 10 km. Rahmat Triyono, the head of the tsunami and earthquake division at the BMKG, said the quake would not cause a tsunami because the epicenter was under land. West Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD Jawa Barat) operational control manager Budi Budiman Wahyu said there were no fatalities caused by the incident. However, three people in Mekarsari village, Kalapanunggal district, Sukabumi suffered minor injuries. “The victims were brought to a nearby clinic in the village. They have received treatment,” Budi told The Jakarta Post via text message on Tuesday. The disaster agency recorded that at least 202 houses were damaged during the earthquake. The most affected region was Kalapanunggal district, where 48 houses were destroyed or severely damaged, while 154 others suffered from minor to moderate damage. BPBD Jawa Barat also reported damage in other districts, such as Parakansalak, Cidahu and Kabandungan. “As many as 173 individuals were displaced by the incident,” Budi said. BMKG’s Rahmat said the shallow earthquake occurred on a strike-slip fault, where two tectonic plates moved in parallel but in opposite directions to one another. The earthquake was also felt in Bogor and several parts of Jakarta, the BMKG reported.