5.9-magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia’s West Java

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake rocked southwest of Pangandaran district in Indonesia’s West Java province on October 25 morning.

Jakarta (VNA) - A 5.9-magnitude earthquake rocked southwest of Pangandaran district in Indonesia’s West Java province on October 25 morning.

The epicenter of the quake was located about 90 km away from Pangandaran district, and at a depth of 10 km, according to the Jakarta-based Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

On October 19, two consecutive quakes measuring 5.7 and 5.8 on the Richter scale hit the western region of Indonesia.

Earthquakes regularly rock various parts of Indonesia due to the fact that the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.

One of the deadliest earthquakes in Indonesia that occurred over these past two years was the one that struck several areas of Central Sulawesi province.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake which was followed by tsunami that hit the areas of Palu city and the districts of Donggala, Paringi Moutong, and Sigi on September 28, 2018, claimed 2,102 lives, injured 4,612, and rendered 680 others missing.

Previously, in 2004, a 9.1- magnitude earthquake rocked the Indonesian coast of Sumatra and caused tsunamis across the Indian Ocean, killing 220,000 people, including about 170,000 in Indonesia./.

VNA

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