Moderately damaging /injuring massive earthquake below the Molucca Sea (Indonesia)
Last update: November 16, 2014 at 9:59 am by By Armand Vervaeck
Update November 16 : Based on our research, 9 people have been injured by this earthquake
Update : The northern part of Sulawesi has got his part of the damage. Collapsed walls and cracks in walls have been reported in Manado
Update : As could be expected a lot of aftershocks are raging in the area, most of them luckily far out of the coast
Update : Below the spectacular Geofon seismogram as recorded in Sulawesi
Update : Following the theoretical data from USGS, a maximum shaking of MMI V (moderate shaking) was expected from this earthquake.
TUSNAMI Update : HAZARDOUS TSUNAMI WAVES FROM THIS EARTHQUAKE ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 300 KM OF THE EPICENTER ALONG THE COASTS OF
INDONESIA – ER : Max. waves of 9 cm have been measured along some Indonesian coasts)
156km (97mi) NW of Kota Ternate, Indonesia
156km (97mi) NW of Ternate, Indonesia
160km (99mi) ENE of Bitung, Indonesia
164km (102mi) W of Tobelo, Indonesia
1064km (661mi) SW of Koror Town, Palau
Update May 3 : Local newspaper kabartimur reports : In Ulima dozens of homes + the Nur Hamza Mosque (Ambalau Island) were damaged to various extend (some severely). One person got injured by a collapsed wall. Most of the houses in the village are showing cracks in the walls. People spend the night outside out of fear for aftershocks.
Update May 3 : Our first estimate was unfortunately the good one. At least 20 houses were damaged to various extend in the village of Uilima (District Ambalau) a tiny island near Buru Island (Palau Buru). The quakes epicenter (preliminary location of the epicenters has always a serious error margin) was closest to Ambelau Island. The regency has not yet asked for help from the regional BPBD.
Update 09:31 UTC : we decrease our damage estimate based on the reports of local BMKG who is predicting a max. weak shaking at Ambon vs a light shaking as predicted by USGS
Update 09:19 UTC : The theoretical injuries/fatalities engine from Max Wyss expects neither injuries nor fatalities as a result of this earthquake. ER maintains his slight damage expectation
Update 09:11 UTC : The below data are showing a max. shaking of MMI V (and not MMI III as said earlier) = Moderate shaking may have been felt by 21000 people
Update 09:07 UTC : The picture below is the Geofon seismogram at the Indonesia station of Bandaneira (Banda Sea area)
Update 09:05 UTC : USGS reports a Magnitude of Mw6.0 at a depth of 54 km. Max. expected shaking MMI III (weak shaking).
Update : the earthquake occurred at intermediate depth of 45 km. We maintain however our moderately dangerous outlook precisely because of the depth. The epicenter is located in the sea in between both islands, but the intermediate depth will bring the shaking in a wider area and thus also on the islands.
572 km N of Dili, East Timor / pop: 150,000 / local time: 17:43:37.0 2014-05-02
75 km W of Ambon, Indonesia / pop: 355,596 / local time: 17:43:37.0 2014-05-02
The earthquake happened at close distance from the Lombok coast but was also felt well at Bali, a major touristic destination
12km (7mi) NW of Karangsubagan, Indonesia
30km (19mi) NNW of Mataram, Indonesia
48km (30mi) ENE of Karangasem, Indonesia
50km (31mi) NNW of Praya, Indonesia
1040km (646mi) ESE of Jakarta, Indonesia
Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 5.2
Local Time (conversion only below land) : Unknown
GMT/UTC Time : 2013-06-22 05:42:37
Depth (Hypocenter) : 10 km
Update 10:38 UTC : Local Lombok Regional Disaster Management Agency, West Nusa Tenggara, reports that the shaking resulted in 1,700 severely damaged houses. 24 people were injured, 3 of them seriously. The seriously injured people are being hospitalized in Tanjung. The 3 districts who where most severely hit by the shaking were Kecamatan Gangga, Tanjung and Kecamatan Pemenang. We have NO reports of fatalities at the time of writing.
At 6 villages, a lot of brick houses have collapsed. 27 houses of worship, consisting of 15 mosques, 10 temples and two monasteries were damaged at various extend. BPBD has now setup a command post on Lombok to distribute relief aid.
We have no knowledge of tourists being hurt but almost all of them were very scared, especially those residing at Lombok or the Gili Islands.
We have 1 major remark to tourists staying at the island : DO NOT RUN OUT OF YOUR HOTEL WHILE THE SHAKING IS GOING ON, THIS IS THE MOST DANGEROUS YOU CAN DO. Most of people getting hurt during earthquakes are victims of falling objects while running out of houses, offices etc. Read carefully this internationally accepted advise.
Image courtesy and copyright @infojogja via twitpic
Update 10:38 UTC : It is reported that an unknown number of people were injured while fleeing from their homes. No injuries by falling debris so far. The settlement were damage was reported was “Kopang“.
Update 09:02 UTC : Local Indonesian newspaper Merdeka reports that a unspecified number of houses were damaged at Lombok and that a couple of houses even collapsed. At the time of writing there were NO reports of injured people.
Update 08:29 UTC : BMKG shaking map for this earthquake. This shaking map has a common zoom index which means that we cant see the detailed MMI values of the Gili Islands. The shaking map below gives a maximum shaking of MMI IV or light shaking. Based on the Experience reports we have received it was a MMI VI at the nearest island
Update 07:29 UTC : After reading some of our own reports from the Gili Islands, we can confirm that at least minor damage was generated. Cracks in walls, fallen plaster, etc.
Update 07:27 UTC : BMKG, the local Indonesian seismological agency reports a Magnitude of 5.4 at a depth of 10 km, more or less in line with the international agencies.
Update 07:21 UTC : The epicenter of this shallow earthquake was below or just off the coast of the Gili Islands. All 3 islands are very touristic and 2 of the islands are very vulnerable for Tsunami waves. The Magnitude is however not strong enough to generate destructive tsunami waves.
Update : The seismogram of this earthquake. the Geofon seismogram shows also the first aftershocks
Update : One of our readers is reporting broken windows in Lombok, which puts another view on this earthquake. As the earthquake was close to the coast (but as there is always a serious error margin) the coastal habitation may have been hit with some minor structural damage.
