Indonesian island of Java hit by earthquake of at least 5.7 magnitude

A 5.7-magnitude earthquake has hit Indonesia’s essential island of Java, the USA Geological Survey (USGS) mentioned, shaking the identical city devastated by one other quake final month that left greater than 330 folks lifeless.

The quake struck on land at a depth of 112km (70 miles) and the epicentre was situated 18km south-east of metropolis of Banjar, in keeping with the USGS. There have been no fast stories of casualties or main injury.

The nation’s meteorological company gave a better magnitude of 6.4 for the quake, which additionally shook buildings in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, in keeping with an Agence France-Presse journalist.

The company mentioned the tremor had precipitated buildings to shake within the city of Garut, in West Java province, and warned residents close to the epicentre to watch out for potential aftershocks. Nevertheless, it mentioned there was no menace of a tsunami.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic exercise due to its place on the Pacific “ring of fireside”, the place tectonic plates collide.

Final month a shallow 5.6-magnitude tremor hit the city of Cianjur in West Java, killing 331 folks, injuring 1000’s and leaving tens of 1000’s homeless after it collapsed buildings and triggered landslides.

Many had been discovered buried below rubble within the days after the quake, with solely a number of profitable rescues reported, together with an operation to free a six-year-old boy that emergency staff described as a “miracle”.

Residents of the city had been shaken once more by Saturday’s quake and it precipitated some roofs to be flippantly broken, a navy official informed native broadcaster Kompas.

“It made us really feel like we had been swaying. We might see hanging lamps swaying,” he mentioned.

A 6.2-magnitude quake that shook Sulawesi island in January final yr killed greater than 100 folks and left 1000’s homeless.