Indonesia quake strikes off Java island, felt strongly in Jakarta

A man carries a child as people evacuate an apartment building following an earthquake in Jakarta, Indonesia, January 14, 2022. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

JAKARTA — A powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Java island on Friday, the country’s meteorology agency said, prompting some residents in the capital Jakarta to flee from buildings in panic.

Indonesia’s meteorology agency (BMGK) said the earthquake hit 52 km (32 miles) off Banten province at a depth of 10 km, but did not have the potential to cause a tsunami.

In Jakarta, the tremors were felt strongly.

“I was very scared, suddenly there was a quake and it was so strong,” said 38-year-old Jakarta resident and nanny, Ani.

“When I felt it I directly grabbed my employer’s baby and ran downstairs.”

The quake was also felt in the province of West Java and in Lampung, on Sumatra island.

A spokesperson for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment when asked whether any damage had benn reported.

Indonesia straddles the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on the earth’s crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.

Last month, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Indonesia, triggering a tsunami warning and also sending residents fleeing from their homes but causing only minor damage.