In the early hours of Tuesday, reports from news agencies indicated that an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck the depths of the northern areas of the sea encompassing Bali and Lombok islands in Indonesia. This high-magnitude seismic event prompted local residents to swiftly evacuate buildings as a precautionary measure.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) disclosed that the epicenter of the earthquake was located approximately 203 km (126 miles) to the north of Mataram, Indonesia. Notably, the origin of this earthquake was at an extraordinary depth, estimated to be a remarkable 516 km beneath the Earth’s surface, according to the EMSC.
Both Indonesian and US geological institutions assessed the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.1. It’s important to highlight that, based on available reports, the earthquake did not carry the potential to trigger a tsunami in the region.
The quake’s tremors were felt shortly before 4 am (2000 GMT) across the coastal regions of Bali and Lombok. Following this initial seismic event, two subsequent quakes with magnitudes of 6.1 and 6.5 occurred, as conveyed by the Indonesian geological agency.
Suadi, the manager of the Mercure Kuta Bali hotel in the area, recounted that guests swiftly evacuated their rooms in response to the tremors. The effects of the tremor endured for a brief duration. Although the building remained undamaged, guests temporarily left their rooms, eventually returning. The hotel manager mentioned, “Several guests left their rooms but were still in the hotel area.”
As per the Indonesian disaster agency, BNPB, there were no immediate reports of damage. Abdul Muhari, a spokesperson for the agency, attributed the absence of significant destruction to the considerable depth of the earthquake. He expressed confidence that the earthquake’s impact would not be profoundly adverse, stating, “The quake is deep so it should not be destructive.”
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