Tsunami alert issued as massive earthquake jolts Indonesia

Indonesia’s main island of Java was rocked by a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.5 on the Richter scale, which resulted in the death of one person and leaving a few injured.

The tremor, which was a massive one, was felt at 10:17 pm on the night of December 15. Immediate Tsunami indication was not observed, but the authorities said that they had issued a warning following the tremor.

A 62-year-old man died in the Ciamis region in West Java after being trapped in a collapsed house, reported Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesperson of National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

A minimum of five people was reported injured across the island following the tremor. The authorities continued to assess the damage from the quake, which hit just before midnight.

The US Geological Survey said that the tremor was measured at  a depth of 91 kms and struck less than a mile to the east-southeast of the coastal town of Cipatujah. The quake was felt across the island.

“Suddenly, we felt dizzy, but constantly... We then realized it was a quake and immediately ran downstairs,” 50-year-old resident of Jakarta, Web Warouw, who was struck on the 18^th floor of a building at the time of the earthquake, said.

Homes were reported damaged in the city of Tasikmalaya, which was only 50 kms away from the epicentre.

Also Read: 4.5 magnitude earthquake strikes Jammu and Kasmir, no casualties reported

Indonesia’s record of experiencing earthquakes goes really long as it is situated over the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where tectonic plates collide.

A deadly earthquake struck the country’s western Aceh province in December 2016 which killed more than 100 people and left many injured and homeless.

(With PTI Inputs)