In Reply to: Earthquake hits Jakarta posted by YouBuyYouBuy on Wednesday, 2. September 2009 at 16:09 Bali Time:
Strong 7.0 Quake Shakes Western Indonesia, Six Dead
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck Java island shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey agency reported. Authorities have confirmed six dead and dozens of homes collapsed from the quake.
Its epicenter was 142 km southwest of Tasikamalaya in West Java, the agency said, and it was 49.5 km deep.
The quake was originally reported to be 7.3, but that figure was revised by the agency.
An aftershock was also reported by the Indonesian Agency of Meteorology at 4.28 p.m., that measured 5.4 with an epicenter 15 km deep.
According to Priyadi Kardono, the head of the National Disaster Management Agency, six people were confirmed dead in Cianjur, but the cause of their deaths is still known.
Twelve houses were crushed by a landslide and one additional house completely collapsed, he said.
Dozens of buildings collapsed in the towns of Tasikmalaya and Sukabumi and 18 people were hospitalized with light injuries in Jakarta, disaster management official Rustam Pakaya added.
In Sukabumi, 23 houses were seriously damaged, an official said.
Edison Burning, spokesman for the Indonesian Agency of Meteorology (BMKG), urged people to remain alert for aftershocks.
"It was a sudden earthquake, there was no warning," Edison said.
If aftershocks occur, people are advised to leave their buildings or seek cover under tables or a desk, he said.
Fatimah, a resident of Kawalu, Tasikmalaya, told the Jakarta Globe that when the earthquake struck, it was initially very strong, but then stopped. She then felt it again a few minutes later, but by then her and her neighbors had already fled outside.
She could not see any collapsed houses, but her windows had been cracked by the quake, she said.
Authorities issued a tsunami watch following the tremor, but it was later retracted.
'I was terrified when I heard about the tsunami warning,' Fatimah said, because Pangandaran Beach is nearby.
Gedung Veteran, Plaza Semanggi, where the Jakarta Globe offices are located, swayed noticeably with a rolling motion, causing workers to pour out of their offices in a panic.
Users on the social networking site Twitter reported feeling the quake in Jakarta, but there have been no reports of damage so far.
JG, AFP