Magnitude-5.0 tectonic earthquake jolts Kupang

Kupang (Antaranews NTT) - A tectonic earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale jolted Kupang District in East Nusa Tenggara Province at 5.49 am Central Indonesia Standard Time (Wita) on Saturday.

Local Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Chief Hasanudin remarked that the epicenter of the earthquake was located in Sawu Sea between the coordinate of 10.13 degrees Southern Latitude and 122.88 degrees Eastern Longitude at a depth of 68 kilometers.

The magnitude of the earthquake was strong enough and felt by the people in Kupang, Naekean, Rote, Akle, Hansisi, Tenau, and Baun but Hasanudin called on them to stay calm because the quake did not have the potential to cause tsunami and material damage. Earlier on Thursday, a 4.6-magnitude tectonic earthquake also jolted Ende, a district in East Nusa Tenggara Province.

Hasanudin said the epicenter of the earthquake was located 104 kilometers northwest of Sabu Island at 9.63 degrees Southern Latitude and 121.67 degrees Eastern Longitude, at a depth of 10 kilometers under the ground.

According to the shake-map analysis, the BMKG explained that the earthquake caused tremors of level 1 on the BMKG Earthquake Intensity Scale and the second to third level on the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale.

People residing in Ende and nearby areas have experienced a level 1 earthquake on the agency`s scale, he remarked. The agency also reported that the incident was part of the low-intensity seismic event, measured by its hypocenter.

Due to its low intensity, the Kupang Disaster Mitigation Agency has called on the people to remain calm and follow any instructions issued by the authority. Hasanudin also stated that the earthquake will not be followed by a tsunami.