July 10, 2024
JAKARTA – A total of 240 houses were damaged after a magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit Batang regency and Pekalongan city in Central Java on Sunday. While no deaths were reported, 13 people were injured in the incident.
The Batang regency administration has declared a seven-day emergency response period following the disaster.
The quake also caused damage to eight administrative office buildings, 15 schools, five houses of worship and a traditional market.
On Monday, disaster response workers cleared debris from damaged buildings in three districts. On Tuesday, activities were focused on food and non-food aid distribution to affected residents, as well as health services.
In April, a magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck off the southwestern coast of Java Island with the epicenter located about 150 kilometers away from Garut, West Java.
At least four people in the regency were injured and some buildings were damaged. The quake was felt in the capital Jakarta, where people were forced to evacuate buildings, as well as in Bandung, West Java.
The country experiences frequent earthquakes due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide, which stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.