150 aftershocks strike North Maluku: BMKG

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded that 150 aftershocks struck Jailolo Sub-district, Halmahera Barat District, North Maluku, until Friday after the 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the areas on Thursday, around 11:17 p.m. local time.

The local people felt eight of the 150 aftershocks, while the magnitude of those aftershocks was recorded at between four and five on the Richter scale, the agency noted in a press statement that ANTARA received in Jakarta on Saturday.

Speaking in connection with this strong earthquake followed by repeated aftershocks, Head of the BMKG Dwikorita Karnawati had earlier called on local residents to remain calm but vigilant as a precautionary measure against any unwanted eventuality.

Located on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also called the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities, Indonesia is susceptible to natural disasters, including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

On September 26, 2019, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake rocked Maluku Province, killing at least 38 people and wounding 27 residents in Ambon City, 90 residents in Maluku Tengah District, and 32 residents in Western Seram District.

Due to the trauma and anxiety that local residents still experience in the aftermath of this powerful earthquake, the BMKG recently cautioned Maluku Province's residents to not believe in rumors, fake news, and misleading information on a powerful earthquake and tsunami that could jolt Ambon, Masohi, and Banda.

The BMKG pointed out that it was beyond anybody’s realm to accurately forecast when and where the earthquakes would occur.

In 2018, the BMKG recorded that Indonesia had borne the impact of 11,577 earthquakes, including several causing grave casualties, with the number significantly rising than that in 2017.

The BMKG data showed that 11,577 earthquakes, with varying magnitudes and depths, hit during 2018, while just 7,172 earthquakes were recorded in 2017.

This indicates that Indonesia bore witness to a notable rise in the number of tectonic earthquakes last year.

Several earthquake-related events that had struck Indonesia last year were the first of a kind to have occurred, such as the liquefaction in Palu, a tsunami that struck prior to the issuance of a tsunami warning in Palu, and the Sunda Strait Tsunami. 

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