Indonesia is quite an earthquake-prone country. Because of its unique geographical location, volcano eruptions and earthquakes are relatively more common in the country. Recently, a massive earthquake hit the island of Java in Indonesia. The island of Java is one of the most populous in the country. Luckily though, casualties have not yet been reported and it seems that the damage was mostly limited to property. Here are all the details you need to know about this unfortunate event.
Massive Earthquake Of 6.5 Magnitudes Hits Java, Indonesia
A massive earthquake rocked the Java region in Indonesia. It measured a whopping 6.5 magnitudes on the Richter scale and hit off the coast of the Indonesian island. Its tremors were felt in central Java as well as Yogyakarta.
The depth of the quake was measured to be 25 kilometres or 15 miles. The Badan Meterologi Klimatologi, dan Geofisika or the BMKG, which is the country’s geophysics agency, said that the earthquake was medium in size. Fortunately, no reports of casualties surfaced.
Abdul Muhari, who is the spokesperson for the disaster agency of Indonesia, stated that it was currently undertaking an assessment of the damage done to houses in the region of Kebumen as well as Gunung Kidul district. No warnings of Tsunamis have also been issued.
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Indonesia And The ‘Pacific Ring Of Fire’
The reason that Indonesia is so prone to earthquakes and volcanoes is because of its geographical location. It is situated on the ‘Pacific Ring Of Fire.’ It is the belt of land that surrounds the Pacific Ocean which is roughly in the shape of a horseshoe.
This particular seismic zone is highly active because this is where different tectonic plates on the crust of the earth meet. By and large, there is a consensus in the scientific community on what regions make up the Ring of Fire. Indonesia is located at the intersection of the Alpide Belt and the Ring of Fire.
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Cover Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons (Representational)