Indonesia’s Java Island experienced a significant earthquake on Friday, with the tremors felt across the region. The earthquake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, struck the eastern side of the island, causing damage but fortunately, no immediate reports of casualties were received.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake occurred at a shallow depth of 8.5 kilometers (5.2 miles) north of Paciran in East Java province.
Earlier in the day, two smaller earthquakes had also occurred in the same area, which were felt in Surabaya, the nearest city, and even caused buildings in Jakarta, the capital, to sway for several seconds.
Authorities reported that a house and a village town hall collapsed in Tuban district due to the tremors.
Although there was no tsunami threat, Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency cautioned about possible aftershocks.
Indonesia, known for its high seismic activity due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences frequent earthquakes. Last year, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake in West Java’s Cianjur city claimed the lives of around 600 people, marking it as the deadliest earthquake since the 2018 Sulawesi quake and tsunami that resulted in over 4,300 fatalities.
The region was also severely affected by the devastating Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004, triggering a tsunami that caused widespread destruction and claimed the lives of more than 230,000 people across multiple countries.
