Mild quake stirs panic in Purwakarta
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 08/14/2010 1:42 PM
A magnitude-3.5 earthquake jolted the West Java town of Purwakarta, 80 kilometers east of Jakarta, stirring panic among local residents.
“The floor was strongly shaken and it sparked fear,” Umar, a resident of Sindangkasih sub-district told Antara news agency.
Other residents said the quake was strongly felt and lasted a few seconds. They said the tremor reminded them of a previous quake in September 2009, which claimed lives and caused massive damage in the southern part of West Java.
But in other parts of Purwakarta, the temblor was not felt at all. A parking attendant of a shopping mall said activities in the building and its surrounding area were unaffected by the quake.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said the quake struck at 12:14 noon. It centered at 39 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital of Bandung at a depth of 10 kilometers beneath the earth. The quake was strongly felt in Purwakarta and Cianjur, the agency said.
