he Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned the recent massive earthquake in Turkey should motivate Indonesia to prepare for earthquake mitigation as Indonesia had the potential to experience earthquakes with a similar scale.
BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati said on Thursday that just like Turkey, Indonesia was also vulnerable to catastrophic and complex earthquakes caused by strike slips of active faults.
She said the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Southern Turkey on Feb. 6 had ruptured all six segments of the East Anatolian Fault, namely Turkoglu, Golbasi, Yarpuzlu, Lakehazar and Gorzali, that stretches up to 300 kilometers.
“This phenomenon is a warning for us in Indonesia to be aware of the potential for multi-segment earthquakes to happen here,” Dwikorita said in a discussion.
She added earthquakes from such a phenomenon had occurred in Lombok Island with five earthquakes of magnitudes 6.4, 7.0, 5.9, 6.2 and 6.9 within three weeks in 2018.
Dwikorita said the 7.8 earthquake from the East Anatolia Fault in Turkey had triggered a rupture in a separate but nearby fault to the west, namely the Sürgü Fault, which triggered another 7.5 earthquake on the same day.
She said the second earthquake had worsened the damages to buildings already affected by the first quake and had expanded total damaged areas.
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.
Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.