Indonesian agency records 53 tremors after 6.1-magnitude quake hit Banten province
Xinhua,January 26, 2018 Adjust font size:
JAKARTA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) recorded 53 tremors around the epicenter of Tuesday's strong earthquake in Banten province's Lebak regency with 2,760 houses damaged in the affected areas.
The earthquake measuring 6.1 magnitude has jolted the regency on Tuesday with significant tremors also felt in several cities in neighboring provinces of West Java and the capital city Jakarta, prompting panic among local residents.
"People in Lebak were still sensing the tremors at present. It was a normal phenomenon after a strong earthquake. The aftershocks were movements below the earth surface to find new equilibrium of earth plate around the area," BNPB Spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Friday.
He added that areas affected by the earthquake were 73 districts in nine regencies located in Banten, West Java and Jakarta.
One person was killed from the earthquake due to heart attack and 11 others sustained injuries in various degrees, he said.
Sutopo added that the number of houses damaged by the aftershocks was expected to increase.
He said the BNPB has handed over relief aids worth 302.9 million rupiah (about 22,700 U.S. dollars) to Lebak regency. Enditem