23 January 2018•Update: 24 January 2018
By Ainur Rohmah
YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Java island Tuesday, leaving at least one dead and more than 1,200 buildings damaged, according to data from the local disaster management agency.
The quake struck at 1.34pm local time (0634GMT). Its epicenter was 81 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Lebak regency in Banten province. Tremors were felt by residents in densely populated Central and West Java, including the capital city, Jakarta.
The head of the emergency and logistics section of the Lebak Disaster Management Agency told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that the worst-hit region was Lebak, where around 1,231 buildings were damaged, including homes, schools and mosques.
“A (30-year-old) resident named Nana died from shock during the earthquake," said Madlias, who goes by only one name.
The government of Banten province plans to help residents rebuild.
"We will fix [the buildings]. Now we are coordinating to prepare the funds,” said Banten Governor Wahidin Halim as quoted by online news site Detik.com.
Military Area Command (Kodam) III/Siliwangi has deployed its troops to the disaster site to record the number of victims and assist with post-disaster operations.
Last December, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Java island, leaving four dead and nearly 9,000 buildings damaged.
Indonesia lies within the Pacific Ocean’s "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide and cause frequent seismic and volcanic activity. A large number of earthquakes occur in Indonesia every year.
