Deadly earthquake off Indonesia coast triggers tsunami warning, prompts evacuations
People stand outside a shopping mall following an earthquake in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Aug. 2, 2019. A strong earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Java island on Friday, swaying buildings as far away as the capital and prompting national authorities to urge those in coastal areas to head to higher ground in case of a tsunami. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake off the coast of Indonesia struck at 52 km (32 miles) deep, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and prompted the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management to urge residents in the Banten coastal area to "immediately evacuate to a higher place."
The earthquake prompted Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) to issue an early tsunami warning. The BMKG utilizes the InaTEWS, the Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning System, to warn citizens. The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning.
One death and four injuries have been reported, according to the Associated Press.
Over 100 houses and buildings have been damaged and more than 1,000 people are in temporary shelters.
According to the USGS, there were tremors and shaking felt in Jakarta, the country's capital.
"There are some areas at risk of a serious threat of a tsunami that could be as high as three meters," Triyono said. "We're still waiting for reports about damage."
Television footage showed patients from hospitals in Bogor, Ciamis and Cianjur evacuating, some still attached to their intravenous drips.
At a news conference, Dwikorita Karnawati, the head of BMKG, told reporters that residents needed to seek higher ground immediately.
"Please look for higher grounds at least 10 meters high," Karnawati said. "Stay calm and keep monitoring information from the geophysics agency."
Report a Typo
