Malang, PINUSPRESS – An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 Richter Scale (RS) struck the city of Malang, East Java on last Wednesday, 8 August 2018. The incident happened at around 1:09 p.m., which centred beneath the ocean at 68 kilometres of Malang Regency, East Java, at the depth of 13 kilometres, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). The earthquake was at the coordinates of 8.80 degrees South Latitude and 112.46 degrees East Longitude from South Kepanjen City, Malang, East Java, at a depth of 70 kilometres. On Wednesday afternoon, Agus Supriyono, a citizen of Lowokwaru, Malang, East Java clarified that this earthquake, which was felt by some citizens in Malang, had no potential of a tsunami arising.
Musripan stated that the effect of the earthquake was felt in Karangkates, Sumberpucung, Malang and Blitar. He added, “The citizens felt the earthquake once in both in the cities of Malang and Blitar. However, there is yet a report of victims and disaster after the earthquake.” The tremor was felt in Malang, Karangkates and Blitar with the intensity of MMI III scale and in Tretes, Tulungagung, Lumajang, Yogyakarta and Kuta with an intensity level of MMI II.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) asserted that the magnitude 5.2 earthquake that shook the south of Malang had no relation to the series of earthquakes that struck Lombok for the past 3 weeks. Moreover, one of the BMKG officials Daryono said that the earthquake in the south of Malang, East Java was a subduction quake which was not associated with the Lombok earthquake. “Lombok earthquake was due to caesarean activity and it is far from the subduction zone in the south of Malang,” said Daryono in a written statement.
Writer : Sherine Angelina
Pinus Press 