Magnitude 4.8 quake hits Indonesia’s West Java; no casualties

JAKARTA: A series of shallow earthquakes hit Indonesia’s West Java province on Sunday with the biggest at magnitude 4.8 during night causing residents to flee their homes, damage to buildings but no casualties, local authorities said.

The quake’s epicentre was 2 km (1.25 miles) northeast of Sumedang in West Java province at a depth of 5 km, while two previous quakes were in smaller magnitude, the country’s geophysics agency (BMKG) said.

Authorities in Sumedang said no casualties had been recorded so far, but three residents suffered minor injuries and there had been damage to houses and two hospitals where patients had to be evacuated to emergency tents.

BMKG asked residents and local authorities to stay vigilant because of the risk of aftershocks and advised people to avoid hilly areas due to the risk of landslides.

Indonesia straddles the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire”, an area of high seismic activity that rests atop multiple tectonic plates.