Earthquake Of Magnitude 5.6 Strikes Indonesia

Jakarta: Two earthquakes of magnitudes 5.6, and 4.9 (as measured on the Richter scale) struck Indonesia on Friday, initial seismic data said. 

The 5.6-magnitude earthquake occurred at a depth of 56 kilometres, while the 4.9 quake struck at a depth of 66 kilometres. The two were recorded within a gap of 13 minutes. No immediate reports of casualties or damage have been recorded yet.

Indonesia is among the world’s most seismically active countries due to its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire and at the convergence of the Pacific, Eurasian and Australian tectonic plates. The complex plate interactions make the archipelago highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity. It is thus, vulnerable to extreme weather events, and the risk, impact and occurrence of natural hazards is expected to increase.

The country faces a range of natural hazards, including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods and landslides. It is also at risk of powerful megathrust earthquakes capable of triggering destructive tsunamis.

Indonesia reportedly records dozens of earthquakes daily, though most of them are too weak to be felt. However, recent years have seen deadly tremors, including a 5.6-magnitude quake in West Java’s Cianjur district in November 2022 that killed over 300 people, and a 6.2-magnitude earthquake in West Sulawesi in January 2021 that left more than 100 people dead.

These two subsequent earthquakes hit Indonesia after another earthquake of magnitude 4.4, which struck earlier today, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS). 

(With agency inputs)

Also read: Delhi's Udyog Bhawan Metro Station To Be Renamed 'Seva Teerth Bhawan'