A 5.0-magnitude earthquake rocked Lebak District in Banten on Friday at 6:43 a.m., the fifth tremor of above 4-magnitude in the area this year.

The earthquake was located around 83 kilometers southwest of Lebak at a depth of 19 km, according to the Lebak Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD).

“So far, we haven't received any reports of casualties or damage to infrastructure caused by the earthquake," Lebak BPBD Madias said as quoted by Antara news agency, adding that the earthquake was relatively small.

The earthquake also did not panic people living nearby on the southern coast of Lebak, which is close to the epicenter. The current situation in the southern coastal area, including Wanasalam, Pangarangan, Cihara and Bayah remains normal, with people going about their activities as usual.

“We’ve asked people to remain calm and not panic,” Madias said. However, the agency also asked the residents to stay alert in a bid to minimize casualties. There will also be a 24-hour alert to anticipate another disaster.

It was the fifth earthquake to hit the district this year. The largest one was 6.4-magnitude and occurred on Jan. 23, causing panic among people in Jakarta as some occupants of high rise buildings could feel the tremor.

In March, the district was hit by another earthquake, this time of 5.2-magnitude, which was hardly felt. On July 7, another earthquake rocked Lebak, measuring only 4.4 but damaging three houses in Sukabumi, West Java. In October, the district was, again, hit by a 5.2-magnitude earthquake. (foy)