Earthquake jolts waters of South Nias, North Sumatra

A 5.1-magnitude earthquake jolted the waters of South Nias District in North Sumatra Province on Sunday at 08.08 a.m. local time but it did not potentially trigger tsunami.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the quake's epicenter was around 168 kilometers away from the district at a depth of 19 kilometers.

Nias Island had ever been rocked by 8.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28, 2005. As a result, several parts of Gunung Sitoli, the biggest town in the island, got destructed and some 1,300 people died.

Located on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also called the Ring of Fire, Indonesia is prone to experiencing natural disasters, including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

On Nov 14, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit North Maluku's areas. According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), it afflicted wounds on three people and caused damage to 36 buildings in the province.

The local residents suffered injuries after being hit by several bricks that collapsed from their house's damaged wall.

On September 26, 2019, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake had rocked Maluku Province, claiming at least 38 lives 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 still experienced by local residents 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 accurately forecasting when and where the earthquakes would occur was beyond anyone’s realm of knowledge and understanding.

Regarding the earthquakes in Indonesia, the BMKG recorded that in 2018, the country 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.

Several earthquake-related events in 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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