5.6-Magnitude Quake Shakes Pacitan

Jakarta (Antara) - An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale shook the East Java town of Pacitan on Monday afternoon, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Board (BNPB). The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 12:05 p.m., was located 104 kilometers southeast of Pacitan, Head of the BNPB Information Data Center and Public Relations Sutopo Purwo Nugroho noted in a press statement released on Monday. The epicenter of the quake was in the Indian Ocean at a depth of 10 kilometers, he said, quoting data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). "But the quake did not have the potential to cause a tsunami," Nugroho reported. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the magnitude of the quake was recorded at 5.7 on the Richter scale at a depth of 59.5 kilometers, he added. Nugroho explained that the BNPB command post had informed about the impact of the quake to several district offices of the board. The temors of the quake was also felt by people living in Trenggalek, Malang, Wonogiri, Yogyakarta, and Tulungagung for three to 10 seconds. "Many people rushed outdoors. However, the conditions have returned to normal," Nugroho stated. Chief of the BMKG office in Yogyakarta Toni A. Wijaya remarked that an earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale hit Yogyakarta province on Monday at 12:05 p.m. West Indonesian Time (WIB). According to Wijaya, the quake was centered at 9.06 degrees southern latitude and 111.24 degrees eastern longitude or 104 kilometers southeast of Pacitan at a depth of 10 kilometers. No injuries or fatalities were reported. (*)