Jember Hit with 5.0 Magnitude Earthquake, Damages Reported

A 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit southern East Java on Thursday, December 16, at 06.01 Western Indonesian Time (WIB) and damaged a number of areas in Jember regency.

Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) reported the epicenter was undersea and located at 43 km southwest of Jember in East Java and occurred at a depth of 26 km.

It was initially reported the earthquake was of magnitude 5.1 but was later updated to 5.0, and there was no threat of tsunami.

Coordinator for earthquake and tsunami mitigation at BMKG Daryono said the Agency has received news about damages and impacts created by the disaster.

“Up until now, there have been reports of damages caused by the earthquake in several areas in Jember,” Daryono said in Jakarta.

He added the earthquake was felt in Puger subdistrict on level V of the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, meaning it was felt by almost everyone. Meanwhile, in Jember, it was on level IV or felt by many.

The earthquake was also felt by people in some cities Bali, including Denpasar, Kuta, and Legian.