248 homes damaged, 456 people displaced in Sumedang Quake
By CpietSelasa, 02 Januari 2024Pengunjung (11)2 Mins
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Inp.polri.go.id - Sumedang. The 4.8-magnitude earthquake in Sumedang on Sunday evening damaged 248 houses and forced 456 residents to seek refuge, Acting West Java Governor Bey Triadi Machmudin said on Monday (1/1/2024).
The quake did not cause any fatalities, but left 11 people injured, he said. Two of the injured are currently being treated at two hospitals, while the other nine have returned home, antaranws.com reported.
The epicenter of the shallow earthquake that struck Sumedang on Sunday evening was located at a depth of five kilometers.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported two aftershocks following the quake. The aftershocks did not cause any damage.
According to the head of the BMKG;s Earthquake and Tsunami Center, Daryono, the magnitude 4.8 quake was a "shallow crustal earthquake," which was triggered by the movement of an active fault in the area.
The Sumedang earthquake may be associated with the Cileunyi-Tanjungsari fault, he added.
The last earthquake in Sumedang was recorded on 19 December 1972 with a magnitude of 4.5 . The quake damaged many houses and triggered a landslide in the Cibunar neighborhood area, Daryono informed.
The Sumedang quake caused damage to buildings because its epicenter was located at a depth of five kilometers, he explained.
Earthquakes regularly rock several parts of Indonesia since the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Pcific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.
On 26 December 2004, Aceh, the country's westernmost province, experienced the deadliest earthquake ever on record. The quake had a magnitude of 9.3 and was followed by a tsunami. The catastrophe, which also affected certain coastal areas in countries such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India, reportedly killed at least 230 thousand people in Aceh.
(mg/inp/pr/nm)
