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An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 hit Indonesia’s West Java Island on Sunday, according to the country’s geophysics agency BMKG. The earthquake’s epicenter was located 2 kilometers northeast of Sumedang in West Java province at a depth of 5 km.
Till now, there have been no reports of damage or deaths.
A day ago an earthquake of magnitude 6.2 on the Richter scale jolted Indonesia’s Irian Jaya late at night on Saturday, the National Centre for Seismology reported. According to the NCS, the epicentreepicenter of the quake was found to be at Latitude: -3.11 and Longitude: 139.28, respectively.
“Earthquake of Magnitude: 6.2, Occurred on 30-12-2023, 22:46:28 IST, Lat: -3.11 & Long: 139.28, Depth: 77 km, Location: Irian Jaya, Indonesia,” the NCS posted on X (formerly Twitter).
There were no reports of casualties or material damage after the earthquake that struck the region on Saturday.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis frequently strike Indonesia, a country of more than 270 million people, because of its location on the “Ring of Fire.”
The Ring of Fire, or the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.
It is a horseshoe-shaped belt about 40,000km long and about 500 km wide that contains two-thirds of the world’s total volcanoes and 90 per centpercent of Earth’s earthquakes.
The island nation is highly prone to earthquakes due to its geographical location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet, causing frequent seismic activity. The country witnesses thousands of earthquakes every year, ranging from minor tremors to major, devastating events.
Indonesia is located on the boundary of several tectonic plates, including the Eurasian, Pacific, Australian, and Philippine Sea plates. This makes it extremely susceptible to seismic movements. The region frequently experiences earthquakes. Mild ones generally go unnoticed.
One of the most powerful earthquakes in Indonesia’s history occurred in 2004, which triggered a massive tsunami. It was one of the deadliest in recorded history, with a magnitude of around 9.1-9.3.
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Published: 31 Dec 2023, 08:12 PM IST
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