Jakarta (ANTARA) - A 6.2 magnitude (M) earthquake has rocked Siberut Island in Mentawai Islands District, West Sumatra Province, on Sunday morning. It was then followed by an aftershock, Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported.
"As of 07.10 a.m. WIB (Western Indonesia Standard Time), there was one aftershock with a magnitude of 5.3," Acting Head of BMKG’s Earthquake and Tsunami Center Daryono said in a written statement received here on Sunday.
He informed that the epicenter of the 6.1-M earthquake was located at 1.18 degrees South Latitude and 98.53 degrees East Longitude or at the West Siberut Sub-district, Mentawai Islands District, West Sumatra Province, at a depth of 27 kilometers (km).
According to the mobile application of Info BMKG, the earthquake rocked the region at 06.10 a.m. local time while the aftershock occurred at 06.24 a.m. local time.
"Considering the location of the epicenter and the depth of the hypocenter, it was a shallow earthquake due to plate subduction in the Mentawai-Siberut Megathrust zone. The results of the source mechanism analysis show that the earthquake has a thrust fault mechanism," he noted.
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The disaster was sensed in North Siberut Sub-district (Mentawai Islands District) with an intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) V as the tremor was felt by almost all residents and woke many sleeping people.
It was also felt at the areas of Sagulubbeg Village (Southwest Siberut, Mentawai Islands District), West Siberut Sub-district, and Tuapejat Village (North Sipora Sub-district, Mentawai Islands District), with an intensity scale of MMI IV-V.
The tremor was also felt by those in Padang City, Padang Panjang City, Painan Village (Empat Jurai Sub-district, South Pesisir District), and West Pasaman District with an intensity of MMI III-IV.
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Shocks of MMI IV were sensed by several residents indoors during the day, while MMI III tremors were felt akin to the passing of trucks some distance away.
The modeling result revealed.that the earthquake had no potential to trigger a tsunami.
BMKG appealed to the public to remain calm; get rid of false information regarding the disaster; and avoid damaged buildings.
The agency also asked the community to ensure that their residential buildings were safe before returning to their homes.
Official information from BMKG can be obtained on Instagram or Twitter @infoBMKG, website http://www.bmkg.go.id or inatews.bmkg.go.id, Telegram channel https://t.me/InaTEWS_BMKG, as well as mobile application wrs-bmkg or Info BMKG.
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