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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Disasters & Emergencies

Japan's Kumamoto Earthquake Injures Over 50, Indonesian Embassy on Alert

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture, injuring over 50 people and causing damage to buildings and roads.
  • A tsunami warning was initially issued but later lifted, and no damage was reported at nearby nuclear facilities.
  • The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo urged its citizens to stay alert and follow official instructions, confirming no Indonesian nationals were reported killed.

A powerful earthquake, initially reported as magnitude 7.1 and later revised to 6.8, struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu Island, Japan, on Tuesday. The tremor injured more than 50 people, damaged infrastructure, and triggered a temporary tsunami warning. A significant aftershock of magnitude 6.1 followed about an hour later.

According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, at least 50 individuals sustained injuries, with about ten being residents of a nursing home in Hikawa town. The earthquake also caused several fires and visible damage to homes and road networks. Authorities confirmed that nearby nuclear power facilities remained undamaged and operational.

As of now, we have not received any reports of Indonesian citizens being killed in the affected area.

— Muhammad Al Aula, Coordinator for Information and Socio-Cultural Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in TokyoProviding an update on the status of Indonesian nationals following the earthquake.

In response, the Japanese government established an emergency crisis center to coordinate rescue and relief efforts. The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo issued a statement urging Indonesian citizens in Japan, particularly in Kumamoto, to remain calm, vigilant, and adhere to instructions from Japanese authorities. The embassy confirmed no reports of Indonesian fatalities.

Indonesian authorities, including the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), confirmed the earthquake posed no tsunami threat to Indonesia. The shallow, strike-slip fault earthquake occurred near Uki City, with the BMKG also recording a magnitude 6.3 aftershock shortly after the main event.

Our tsunami modeling indicates that this earthquake does not have the potential to generate a tsunami in Indonesia.

— Wijayanto, BMKG Director for Earthquakes and TsunamisConfirming the lack of a tsunami threat to Indonesia.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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