Indonesia Tsunami Warning Lifted After 7.1 Earthquake

Jakarta Globe, Nov 15, 2014

A screenshot of the USGS website showing the series of earthquakes in
eastern Indonesia on Saturday. (JG Photo)

Jakarta. Indonesian authorities have lifted a tsunami warning after a magnitude-7.1 earthquake hit the east of the country on Saturday morning.

The quake struck at 9:31 a.m. some 156 kilometers northwest of the island of Ternate in the Malukus. Several aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 4.3 to 5.8 were registered as of 1:13 p.m., according to the United States Geological Survey.

The initial quake prompted a tsunami warning from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), but the waves generated were not as high as feared in places such as Jailolo and Tobelo, in the Maluku chain, and in Manado, North Sulawesi.

The BMKG withdrew its tsunami warning at 13:45 p.m. in the affected area, while the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said it would continue to monitor the seismic activity in the region.

“Any time there’s a tsunami warning, the people must evacuate to higher ground,” said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the BNPB, adding that in that particular region, there was only a 30-minute window for an evacuation, given the speed at which the tsunami waves moved.

The region, where the Eurasian and Filipino tectonic plates meet, has a history of earthquakes capable of generating tsunamis. The last recorded tsunami was in 1932, when a quake of magnitude 8.3 struck. Before that, a 7.4 quake in 1858 also generated a tsunami.

Police Warn Riau Fire Starters as SBY Lands in Province

Jakarta Globe, Mar 16, 2014

An Indonesian motorbike rider dives on a hazy street in Pekan Baru,
Riau on March 14, 2014. (EPA Photo)

Pekanbaru. The chief of the National Police has sent a strong warning to anyone caught illegally slashing and burning land in Riau: stop immediately or risk being shot for resisting arrest.

“If anyone fights back and endangers [officers or others], just shoot them,” National Police chief Gen. Sutarman said in Pekanbaru on Saturday.

He said the same policy should be applied to security or government officers allegedly involved in land burning.

“Shoot them as well,” Sutarman said according to Indonesian news portal republika.co.id.

He added that police have so far named 60 suspects for allegedly igniting fires in Riau.

Most of the suspects have been identified as local farmers. One plantation firm — National Sago Prima, a subsidiary of publicly-listed Sampoerna Agro — was also named a suspect, however.

Riau Police chief Brig. Gen. Condro Kirono, meanwhile, said his office had formed a special team consisting of 558 officers tasked exclusively with hunting down those responsible for setting land and forest fires in Riau.

The resulting haze from the fires has disrupted flights and has caused tens of thousands of local residents to suffer from respiratory illnesses.

The haze has also spread to neighboring provinces such as Jambi and West Sumatra. Jambi on Saturday reported nearly 56,000 of its residents also suffered from respiratory illnesses, kompas.com reported.

Condro said the team involved different organizations, including the Indonesian Military (TNI) as well as forest rangers, and was split up into nine smaller groups. Five of the groups have been sent to Bengkalis district and four to Pelalawan district.

“[The Pelalawan teams] will focus on Meranti Bay, which borders the Kerumutan Wildlife Conservation,” Condro said. “There have been lot of hotspots likely caused by  illegal logging [there].”

The Bengkalis teams, meanwhile, will concentrate on the Giam Siak Kecil Biosphere Reserve in the subdistrict of Bukit Batu. “The Bengkalis teams can also cross to Rupat island, where there are a lot of hotspots.”

Police made these statements as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono landed in Pekanbaru on Saturday to inspect the situation.

Upon arriving in Pekanbaru, the president and his entourage took a road trip to Rimbo Panjang village in Kampar district to see firsthand the remnants of the burnt lands. On Sunday, after a meeting with Riau Governor Annas Maamum, the president was scheduled to take another trip 120 km away to Siak district, which is among the regions worst hit by the fires.

“It’s better that we listen to the residents’ stories — of what our brothers have seen and witnessed, of their hopes,” Yudhoyono said in Pekanbaru on Sunday  according to the president’s official website. “Proper solutions will usually arise after we hear all of [the stories].”

The President, irritated by local officials’ slow response to the fire and haze issues, on Friday said he would take over and lead emergency measures himself if local officials and cabinet ministers continued to fail to address the problems.

Yudhoyono announced three emergency measures to handle the Riau fires: extinguish them as soon as possible, provide health treatment for affected residents and bolster law enforcement in affected areas. This despite the fact that the governor of Riau had already declared a state of emergency in the province last month.

The “Integrated Emergency Operation” initiated by the president will take place for three weeks, the president said.

Facts on the ground

On Sunday, citing satellite images, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported 171 hotspots in Riau, with Siak district reporting the most hotspots (78), followed by Indragiri Hilir (32) and Meranti (28).

“Officers have put out fires across 15,837 hectares of lands, from a total of 19,538 hectares burned,” the BNPB said. “Yesterday, air officers successfully dropped 60 water bombs on Giam Siak Kecil.”

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported visibility of 2 km at 6 a.m. on Sunday, marking a significant improvement from when visibility was less than 300 meters during the height of the crisis.

The agency also forecast light to heavy rains in Riau over the next two days, as well as showers until April, heightening hopes that fires and the haze could be further reduced.

Related Article:

More Riau Haze Arrests as Singapore Drafts Legislation

Respiratory Illness and Flights Disruptions as Riau Haze Worsens

Jakarta Globe,  February 24, 2014

Riau residents evacuate on June 23, 2013 as a forest fire engulfs their village
in the Rokan Hulu district. (AFP Photo/Ulet Ifansasti/Greenpeace)

Jakarta. Some 20,000 people have reported respiratory illnesses in Riau as forest fires and the resulting haze continued to worsen on Monday, the local health agency reported.

“That is the data we’ve compiled from a number of districts and municipalities since late January to Sunday [Feb. 23],” Zainal Arifin, the head of the Riau Health Agency, said in Pekanbaru on Monday.

Last month, fewer than 5,000 people reported respiratory problems in Riau. Last week, however, the figure jumped to 15,000 before surpassing 20,000 on Sunday, the health authority reported.

“We’ve been focusing only on patients with respiratory problems because they are  the focus of the Ministry of Health,” he told Indonesian news portal Bisnis Indonesia.

Zainal urged people in Riau to minimize their time outdoors, citing the poor air quality, especially in the town of Dumai and in the Pelalawan and Siak districts.

“Toddlers and people with asthma should avoid outdoor activities,” he said. “Workers should wear masks in anticipation of respiratory illnesses.”

Officials with Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru said at least 12 flights were delayed, canceled or rerouted because the haze had reduced visibility in the province.

“Between 5 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. [on Monday], the visibility was only 500 meters,” airport manager Baekuni said on Monday. “The minimum visibility for safe flights is at least 1,000 meters.”

Affected routes included those to and from Malaysia and Singapore, as well as Bandung, Batam, Jakarta and Medan, on flights operated by Aviastar, Citilink, Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and Tigerair Mandala.

A Citilink flight from Jakarta, which was supposed to land at Pekanbaru airport at 7:20 a.m., was diverted to Batam.

Forests in Riau began burning again earlier this month, with officials blaming local farmers for using the slash-and-burn method to clear land.

On Monday, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said 1,398 hotspots were detected across Sumatra, with most of them concentrated in Riau.

Ahmad Agus Widodo, an analyst with the Pekanbaru office of the BMKG, said Bangka-Belitung and Lampung each reported one hotspot. South Sumatra reported two, Aceh five, Jambi 24, Riau Islands 43 and North Sumatra 85.

“Most hotspots were recorded in Riau province,” Ahmad told liputan6.com. “[NASA's] Terra and Aqua satellites detected 1,234 fire hotspots across eight districts and municipalities in Riau.”

He added the figure marked a significant rise from the roughly 80 hotspots detected in Riau on Sunday.

Ahmad said that with the wind blowing toward the south, haze was spreading to the neighboring provinces of Jambi and West Sumatra.

Related Article:

Riau is Burning… Again

Jakarta Shakes as Magnitude 5.8 Quake Hits Bandung

Jakarta Globe, November 01, 2012

The location of the earthquake, according to the United States Geological
Survey. (USGS Screen Shot)

               

Related articles

• 6.7-Magnitude Quake Strikes Off Indonesia's Papua
• 6.3-Magnitude Quake Strikes Off Eastern Indonesia
• Quake Maps to Identify High-Risk Areas
• Rescuers Reopen Roads in Quake-Hit Sulawesi
• Update: Three Dead, Houses Damaged in Sulawesi Quake

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck the district of Bandung, West Java, Thursday night shaking buildings as far away as Jakarta and Banten, according to data released by the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquake's epicenter was 163 kilometers below ground, according to Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). The Indonesian agency reported the earthquake's epicenter as 28 kilometers southeast of Cianjur, West Java.

There is no potential for a tsunami, the agency said via Twitter.

The Jakarta Globe received reports that the earthquake was felt in Bandung, Jakarta and Cilegon, Banten.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the quake.

50 Injured in Bali as Earthquake Strikes

Jakarta Globe, October 13, 2011

An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude struck off the Indonesian
 resort island of Bali on Thursday, the US geological
survey said. (Image courtesy of USGC)

       

A powerful earthquake jolted Indonesia’s popular resort island of Bali on Thursday, causing widespread panic and injuring at least 50 people, many with broken bones and head wounds.

The US Geological Survey said the 6.0-magnitude quake was centered 100 kilometers southwest of the island. It hit 60 kilometers beneath the ocean floor.

Indonesia’s Metrology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BKMG) said the earthquake had a 6.8 magnitude and was 10 kilometers deep, 143 kilometers southwest of Nusa Dua.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no current tsunami warning in effect.

Although not strong enough to trigger a tsunami, the quake was felt on neighboring Java and Lombok islands, hundreds of kilometers away.

Candy Juliani, a public relations officer for the Sanur Beach Hotel, said terrified guests fled the building.

“We have special emergency routes for this type of situation, but everyone was so scared, they just ignored them,” Juliani said.

At least 50 people were hurt, many with cuts, broken bones and head wounds, said Wayan Sudanti, a hospital spokesman.

Three were in critical condition.

Strong shaking was felt for several minutes in the main tourist district of Kuta, said Endro Tjahjono from the Bali office of Indonesia’s Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.

“There was panic, everyone ran out of the buildings. When we returned to our office building, we saw some cracks on the wall and plaster had come off the walls,” he said.

Schools, office buildings and hospitals were evacuated.

A number of buildings suffered minor damage.

Caroline Mercier, a 40-year-old tourist in the island’s cultural centre of Ubud, said she was used to feeling quakes in California, but never like this one. 

“It started at my feet and went all though my heart and head -- it made me nauseous. My first reaction was to get out of the house. I was very confused when the roof started shaking,” she said.

Novotel Bali Benoa, one of the many resorts in the luxury southern beach area of Nusa Dua, evacuated its guests as the hotel shook for a minute.

“The funny thing is that the foreign guests who were sitting in the lobby did not feel the shaking. They started running when hearing people say ‘there’s an earthquake’ while running down the lobby,” hotel worker Ariyanti said.

Endro Tjahjono, head of information at Bali’s meteorology agency, said there was no tsunami potential and no reports of aftershocks.

Cracks appeared in the walls and glass lobby windows of his office in the southern town of Kuta, and some top floor ceilings fell off, he said.

The quake was measured at 61.3 kilometers deep, and struck some 130 kilometers south-southwest of Bali’s capital Denpasar, the US seismologists said.

“I’m still shaking,” said Stuart McDonald, an Australian living in Bali.

“There’s no serious damage but stuff fell off walls,” he said. “It was very loud.”

Indonesia’s Meteorology and Geophysics Agency measured the undersea quake at 6.8-magnitude and put the quake’s depth at just 10 kilometers but said it was unlikely to cause a tsunami.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where the meeting of continental plates causes high seismic activity, and is frequently hit by earthquakes.

The BKMG said there was no risk of a tsunami.

AFP, JG

Haze disrupts flights in Riau

The Jakarta Post, Sat, 05/14/2011

PEKANBARU: Despite a decrease in the number of hotspots, the haze in Riau is getting denser and has disrupted flight schedules at Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru.

The Pekanbaru Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded nine hotspots remaining, three in Rokan Hilir regency, four in Rokan Hulu and one each in Siak and Kampar regencies.

“Apart from firefighting efforts from the government, the drastic drop in the number of hotspots is likely due to the drop in temperature, which is nearing the normal level of 32 degrees Celsius,” Pekanbaru BMKG analyst Ardhitama said Friday. — JP

Related Article:

Agency to take firm action against Rokan Hilir forest arsonists

Over 1,000 houses along code river flooded

Antara News, Sun, March 20 2011

Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - A flood triggered by heavy rains inundated at least 1,190 houses along Code riverbank in Yogyakarta on Saturday evening.

"The number of flooded houses along the Code riverbank is based on the result of a survey made shortly after the flood receded," Chief of the Secretariat of the Yogyakarta City Natural Disaster Mitigation Office (BKPBD) Sudarsono said on Sunday.

The flood affected a total of 4,369 people who lived in 14 villages in eight subdistricts, he said.

Many residents evacuated to safer areas when the river began to overflow. However, some of them had returned home by Sunday morning to rid their houses of mud left by the flood, he said.

In the worst-hit areas the flood water level reached up to 150 cm, he said.

To meet evacuees` needs the local authorities had prepared logistics including rice and instant noodle enough for three days, he said.

"We are also preparing a public health service unit to help evacuees who have health problems," he said.

The flood caused sand sediment at the river to increase by 5-10 cm.

Sudarsono said all residents living along riverbanks in the city should be on the alert when heavy rains fell on their areas.

"The public should keep abreast of developments to avoid unexpected things," he said.

Editor: Ruslan Burhani

RI sits on Pacific "ring of fire" : official

Antara News, Fri, March 18 2011

Related News

• Japan to recover from disasters just like Indonesia : envoy
• Indonesia helps Japan as token of sympathy
• Some 175 Jembrana residents in Japan safe
• Russian rescuers recover 12 bodies in Sendai, no survivors
• Seoul to evacuate Koreans if Japan crisis worsens

Manado, N Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific "ring of fire", a volcanologically active terrestrial chain where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can happen any time, Syamsul Maarif, head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said.

"The Pacific `ring of fire` that stretches from a point in the Northern Pacific all the way to Indonesia poses the constant threat of major natural disasters," Syamsul said here Friday.

Syamsul was explaining Indonesia`s geographical position to a gathering of North Sulawesi local government officials and women organizations in relation with disaster management at the North Sulawesi Governor`s office.

The spread was also touched in a series of the ASEAN Regional Forum-Disaster Relief Exercise (ARF-Direx) in Manado and North Minahasa on from March 14 to 20, 2011.

The Pacific ring of Fire is also believed to have the potential to trigger volcanic eruptions, especially as every year Indonesia normally have volcanic eruptions.

Syamsul said that Indonesia rests on three main active tectonic plates namely the Euroasia, Pacific and Indo-Australian plates.

"The three tectonic plates often moved which triggered earthquakes in Indonesia each year," he said.

Indonesia has about 17 thousand islands and 81 thousand meters of coastline, or the second longest in the world, and has a population of approximately 234 million, the world`s fourth largest.

Syamsul said seen from the point of view of disasters, all corners of the Indonesian archipelago including North Sulawesi Province are prone to disasters, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and tsunamis.

Editor: Aditia Maruli

Related Article:

RI voices need for regional cooperation in handling disasters

10-Centimeter Minor Tsunami Hits Halmahera, North Maluku

Jakarta Globe, Dessy Sagita, March 11, 2011

Estimated tsunami travel time. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
in Hawaii issued a tsunami warning for a large swath of the Pacific
including Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Central and
South America. (AFP Photo)

Related articles

• Residents of Indonesia's Coastal Areas Prepare for Tsunami
• Indonesia's BP Tangguh LNG Operation Guards Against Tsunami Fallout
• Japan Quake Death Toll at 32; Aid Groups Scramble
• Filipinos Move From Coastal Areas on Tsunami Risk
• Japan Quake 7th Most Powerful Ever: USGS

A harmless 10-centimeter swell has hit the coast of North Halmahera in North Maluku, an official said.

Fauzi, a geophysicist from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), said the minor tsunami was now headed to Bitung, Manado, in North Sulawesi.

However, he said that people should remain on alert because the danger had not yet passed.

BMKG earlier warned that a tsunami might be heading to Papua, North Maluku and North Sulawesi after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in northeastern Japan.

There are no reports yet of swells hitting other coastal areas in Indonesia.

Taiwanese authorities said earlier on Friday that minor tsunamis reached the island's coastline without causing any damage.

Waves around 10 centimeters high hit Taiwan's east and northeast coasts in the evening, the central weather bureau said.

The bureau said it did not expect more and bigger waves but will only lift the warning when the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center does so.

Related Articles:

Tsunami destroys houses in Jayapura

Japan Tsunami ripple destroys several houses in Papua

8.9 Quake was big even for Japan

RI hit by 644 disasters in 2010 : BNPB

Antara News, Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia was hit by 644 natural disasters in 2010, National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Chief Syamsul Maarif said.

"Indonesia has been hit by 644 disasters during 2010 while 81.5 percent of them was hydro-meteorological type of disasters such as floods, landslides and flash floods," he said here on Tuesday at a meeting with several cabinet ministers at the Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare office in Jakarta.

He said though floods and landslides dominated disasters in Indonesia, it was earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that had caused the most casualties and material losses to the country. There were 1,711 people who died with over a million people injured due to natural disasters in 2010.

Syamsul said BNPB in 2011 had allocated Rp228 billion for disaster mitigation activities such as the mapping of disaster-prone areas in Indonesia, training for government officials and local people to raise their awareness about natural disasters and certification of around 10,000 volunteers.

Earlier, presidential aide for disaster and social affairs Andi Arief said from a study and observation seven provinces and 13 districts/municipalities in Sumatra and Java had been identified as deserving priority in implementing the government`s earthquake and tsunami mitigation programs.

However, Andi did not name the provinces and districts which were prioritized for the earthquake and tsunami mitigation program.

"The priority for the seven provinces and the 13 districts/municipalities is because they are prone to earthquake and tsunami that can claim considerable amount of lives and material damage," he said.

But he added that almost all of 33 provinces across the country were potential to have ecological disaster such as landslide, flash flood, and whirlwind.

According to Andi disaster mitigation program was necessary to be carried out as a starting point for disaster management to reduce the number of fatalities and material damage.

"Thus pre-disaster mitigation is necessary for the people and all parties so that they know what to do when a real disaster does occur," Andi said.

East Java Also Felt Yogyakarta Quake

Jakarta Globe | December 21, 2010

Jakarta. The 5.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Yogyakarta on Tuesday was also felt in East Java. This was because the epicenter was shallow, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, also known as BMKG.

“The epicenter was only 16 kilometers so the tremor could be felt in Pacitan [East Java] and Semarang [Central Java],” M. Riyadi, a BMKG official, was quoted as saying by news portal Detik.com.

The earthquake's epicenter was in Wonosari and was categorized as III to IV on the Mercalli intensity scale.

“It means that many people felt the tremor,” Riyadi said of the categorization.

The earthquake, which happened at 10:50 a.m., triggered panic at the Yogyakarta town hall where members of the House Commission IX for population, health, manpower and transmigration were visiting.

The lawmakers, including Ribka Tjiptaning and Rieke Dyah Pitaloka, immediately left the hall.

“When the quake hit, we were ordered to leave the room so we did. It's not because we were afraid,” commission member Nizar Shihab told SCTV.

Thirty minutes after the Yogyakarta quake, a 5.0 magnitude quake also hit Gorontalo in Sulawesi Island.

The epicenter was 143 kilometers deep and located 98 kilometers southwest of Gorontalo.

It did not trigger any tsunamis.

There were no reports of injuries or damages.

Related Article:

5.8 Magnitude Quake Hits Yogyakarta

4.0-magnitude quake shakes Yogyakarta

Antara News, Friday, October 29, 2010 00:30 WIB

Bantul, Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - A 4.0-magnitude techtonic quake shook the Yogyakarta special region on Thursday at 8.39 am.

According to the operational control center of the Bantul People`s Protection Office, and based on information of the Yogyakarta Meteorology and Geophysisics Agency, the quake was located 8.02 degrees southern latitude, and 110.49 degrees eastern longitude, and the quake`s epicenter was located on land in a depth of 10 kilometers, and 13 kilometers west of Wonosari, Yogyakarta.

No reports on fatalities and serious material damage have been received, but the residents were merely shocked by the tremor, he added.

Related Articles:

4.5 magnitude earthquake jolts Pangalengan (Oct 24, 2010)

Merapi erupting again

4.5 magnitude earthquake jolts Pangalengan

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 10/27/2010 10:50 PM

A 4.5-magnitude earthquake rocked Pangalengan, Bandung at 9.48 p.m. on Sunday.

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said the epicenter was located 54 kilometers southeast of Bandung at a depth 33 kilometers.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

3 Earthquakes Rattle Indonesia, but Don’t Injure or Destroy

Jakarta Globe, Nurdin Hasan, June 13, 2010

Three moderate earthquakes rocked each end of the Indonesian archipelago early on Sunday morning, sending thousands fleeing their homes in fear of a tsunami, but causing no reported damage, officials and residents said.

The office of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Banda Aceh said the area experienced a 7.7-magnitude earthquake at 2:26 a.m. local time.

BMKG official Maimuddin said the epicenter of the quake was in the Nicobar Sea, about 420 kilometers northwest of Aceh’s We Island, and at a depth of 21 kilometers.

“There was no tsunami alert raised for Indonesia, but the alert was raised for parts of India,” Maimuddin told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday. “The warning was lifted later in the day, though.”

Banda Aceh resident Khaidir, 35, said he had been asleep at the time of the quake. He said a strong jolt woke him up, and he immediately woke his wife and baby, rushing with them to safety.

“Everyone in my neighborhood was scrambling for higher, open ground,” he said. “The earthquake lasted about two minutes.”

Another Banda Aceh resident, Heri, 24, said he had been watching a televised World Cup football match at the time, along with about 100 other people at a cafe. He said everyone fled the moment the quake struck.

“Most people went home immediately afterward to check up on their family and property,” Heri said. “Others, though, stayed on at the cafe to watch the game between England and the US.”

Meanwhile, two smaller quakes jolted Ternate, in the province of North Maluku, on Sunday.

The first struck at 10:57 a.m., local time, and was recorded by the BMKG as having a magnitude of 5.0. However, the US Geological Survey recorded it as magnitude 4.8. The quake, which struck just north of Ternate, did not trigger a tsunami warning, and there were no reports of casualties or property damage.

A second quake hit later in the day, centered further north in the Maluku Sea, 195 kilometers north-northwest of Ternate. This quake hit at 1:44 in the afternoon with a magnitude of 4.7. There were no immediate reports of casualties or property damage.

The brace of quakes in the area come on the heels of a larger, 5.7-magnitude quake that struck on Wednesday morning. That quake had an epicenter close to Sunday’s second quake, about 135 kilometers north of Ternate.

Recent earthquakes in Aceh have been more powerful. The region has experienced a string of quakes of above magnitude 7.0 since April. A 7.2-magnitude quake that month near Simeulue Island led to dozens of injuries and caused severe damage to several homes and buildings.

Additional reporting by Antara

Regents blamed for food crisis in NTT

The Jakarta Post, Fri, 04/16/2010 12:20 PM

KUPANG: Legislative councilors of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) responded to the reported food crisis in several regencies saying the respective regents should be held responsible for the situation.

Antonius Landi from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said that the food crisis occurred because regents had failed to heed the precautionary warning by the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) over the prospect of a drastic decline in rainfall and the premature arrival of drought.

"Food crisis due to a drop in agricultural yields should not occur because the BMKG had warned us about that," he said Thursday.

He said the BMKG warning carried consequences regarding what planting method the farmers should adopt and what plant species could survive with low rainfall.

Nico Nuhan, head of the NTT self-management food team deployed to survey the food crisis, found 369 villages faced risk of a food crisis with 56 categorized as inside the "red zone". - JP

Moderate quake shakes North Sulawesi

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 04/05/2010 6:42 PM

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Bitung in North Sulawesi at 5:05 p.m. on Monday, the Geophysics, Climatology and Meteorology Agency (BMKG) reported.

The agency said in its website the epicenter of the tremor was located 191 kilometers southwest of Bitung and 196 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital Manado, at a depth of 20 kilometers beneath the sea floor.

The agency did not issue any tsunami warning.

There were no immediate reports about fatalities or damages.

Bali rattled by six consecutive earthquakes

The Jakarta Post, Sat, 02/13/2010 1:12 PM

DENPASAR: Six repeated earthquakes jolted Bali early Friday, with the strongest quake striking at 2:43 a.m. local time at a registered magnitude of 6.6.

There was no immediate report of damage and casualties, said Bali police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Gde Sugianyar Dwi Putra.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) recorded that the first and the strongest earthquake struck 210 kilometers off the coast southwest of Nusa Dua, at 10 kilometers beneath the surface.

The earthquake was felt across the island as well as on the adjacent East Java and Lombok.

"The quake did not have the potential to cause a tsunami since the epicenter is distantly located in the ocean," said Theresia Elvin, an official with the Denpasar BMKG.

The first earthquake was followed by five smaller ones that lasted until 6:03 a.m.

"People did not notice the five subsequent earthquakes because of the low intensity," Theresia said. - JP

7.2-mag earthquake hits eastern Indonesia, 42 injured

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press | Thu, 02/12/2009 4:43 PM  

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake off eastern Indonesia briefly triggered a tsunami warning Thursday, causing a stampede of residents who wanted to move to higher ground. Hundreds of building were damaged and at least 42 people were injured, some seriously. 

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 1:34 a.m. Indonesian Central Time (1734 GMT Wednesday) and was followed by nearly a dozen aftershocks. 

The quake edpicenter was approximately 195 miles (320 kilometers) from Manado, the northernmost city on Sulawesi island, and 12 miles (20 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor. 

The Talaud island chain, in waters just south of the Philippines, felt the quake most intensely, said Rustam Pakaya, a government crisis center official, adding the number of injuries and extent of damage was increasing steadily as rescue workers reached remote areas. 

Hardest hit, so far, were the towns of Melonguane and Kabaruan. 

Nearly 500 buildings were damaged, including several schools, hospitals and churches, he said. Of the 42 people receiving medical care, 10 suffered serious injuries. 

The quake briefly triggered a tsunami warning - delivered over mobile loudspeakers and by radio and television. It was lifted about an hour later, however, after the threat of killer waves had passed. 

"We were so afraid," said Damian Geruh, a Melonguane resident who described women screaming as they fled their homes. "We ran to nearby hills. I saw others climbing trees." 

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. 

In December 2004, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the country's western island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that battered much of the Indian Ocean coastline and killed more than 230,000 people, more than half of them in Indonesia's Aceh province alone. An earthquake off Java island in 2007 killed nearly 5,000.

Series of powerful quakes kills 3 in Indonesia

The Jakarta Post, Ari Kotarumalos, AP, Jakarta | Sun, 01/04/2009 8:56 AM

DISASTER AFTERMATH: Residents inspect a collapsed hotel after an earthquake struck in Manokwari, Papua province, Indonesia, Sunday. A series of powerful earthquakes at dawn killed at least three people and injured dozens more in remote eastern Indonesia on Sunday, cutting power lines and badly damaging buildings. (AP/Budi Setiawan)

A series of powerful earthquakes at dawn killed at least three people in remote eastern Indonesia on Sunday, cutting power lines and badly damaging buildings.

A 7.6-magnitude quake struck at 4:43 a.m. local time (1943 GMT) about 85 miles (135 kilometers) from Manokwari, Papua, at a depth of 22 miles (35 kilometers), the U.S. Geological Agency said. It was followed by a strong 7.5 aftershock.

Three bodies were found including a 10-year-old girl, hospital director Hengky Tewu told The Associated Press.

"Her head was crushed. We have our ambulances picking up two more," he said. Another 19 patients were treated for broken bones, cuts, crushed fingers and other injuries.

Papua police chief Maj. Gen. Bagus Ekodanto said he received reports that a hotel and rice warehouse had been "destroyed," but he did not know if anyone had died.

Attempts were under way to search for possible victims.

Several stories of the Mutiara Hotel in the main city Manokwari collapsed, said Ina, a nurse at a navy hospital who treated five people from the building for cuts and bruises. Like many Indonesians she goes by a single name.

Electricity went off and people fled their homes in the dark, fearing a tsunami, said Hasim Rumatiga, a local health official.

The Indonesian Meteorology and Seismology Agency issued a tsunami alert, but it was revoked within an hour after it was determined the epicenter was on land.

"We have not been able to get any information of casualties or damage, but since the epicenters were on land, they have a potential to cause significant damage," said Rahmat Priyono, a supervisor at the National Earthquake Center.

Papua, about 1,830 miles (2,955 kilometers) east of the capital Jakarta, is some of the nation's least developed territory. A low-level insurgency has simmered in the resource-rich region for years and it is off limits to foreign reporters.

Indonesia straddles a chain of fault lines and volcanoes known as the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and is prone to seismic activity. A huge quake off western Indonesia caused the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed about 230,000 people, more than half of them in Sumatra.

Related Articles:

Yudhoyono sends ministers for West Papua

Manokwari airport closed after quakes

Hotel collapses after powerful Indonesian quakes

Simeuleu returns to normalcy after quake

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

Activity on Simeulue Island in Aceh province reportedly began to return to normal Thursday, a day after a major earthquake killed four people, seriously injured dozens of others and destroyed infrastructure and homes.

Residents who fled to higher ground on Wednesday for fear of a tsunami have returned to their homes, said Medan Air Force base commander Col. Agus Dwi Putranto on Thursday, after visiting survivors on Simeuleu Island.

He said that based on aerial surveillance he conducted with members of the National Disaster Management Coordination Agency, the island did not suffer any substantial damage in the quake.

"We did not find any major damage during the surveillance, except in the northern part of West Simeuleu where many buildings such as the district administrative office and police station were damaged," he said.

Asked about casualty numbers, Agus said 26 people were seriously injured in West Simeuleu, with most still being treated in an open field, while three people died and five were injured in East Simeuleu.

He said relief aid had yet to arrive in Simeuleu. The Air Force has provided two Cassa planes to airlift aid to affected areas.

Simeuleu Social Office head Zulmufti was quoted as saying by Antara news agency in Banda Aceh that four people died in the quake, two in East Simeuleu and one each in South Teupah and Central Teupah.

Worst-hit areas include West Simeuleu, Alafan and Sialang, where schools, medical facilities and houses of worship were badly damaged.

Simeuleu state hospital was damaged in the quake, forcing doctors to treat patients in tents.

The Aceh provincial administration has continued efforts to dispatch humanitarian aid to the island.

The Aceh Social Office has reportedly sent four truck-loads of food and clothing to quake survivors.

The Medan Meteorological and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said residents in Simeuleu were still experiencing aftershocks but of moderate intensity.

"Aftershocks in Sinabang, Simeuleu regency, will likely continue due to pent up energy following the main tremor on Wednesday," said Medan BMG head Rifwar Kamin on Thursday.

He said the quake did not cause major damage and large numbers of casualties because its epicenter was located at a depth of some 34 kilometers.