Western Java hit by major earthquake<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale
\non Wednesday afternoon jolted most of the western part of the
\nisland of Java, including the capital Jakarta, sending people
\nrunning in panic from homes, office buildings, shopping centers,
\nhotels and apartments.<\/p>\n
There were no immediate reports of serious damage or
\ncasualties but a black-out occurred in several parts of Jakarta
\nand in the town of Pandeglang. Minor cracks were found at the
\nLippo Carita Apartments at the popular resort of Anyer in the
\nnorthern coastal area of Banten.<\/p>\n
There were reports from Singapore, according to AP, that the
\nquake also reached there and some people living in the high-rise
\nbuildings in the tiny city-state, about 900 kilometers from Java,
\nfelt the jolt.<\/p>\n
Sridiharto, head of the National Meteorology and Geophysics
\nOffice, said the tremor lasted for about three minutes, starting
\nat 4:32 p.m., and that the epicenter was about 72 kilometers
\nsouthwest of Panaitan Island, near the Ujung Kulon conservation
\npark on the western tip of Java, which is over 200 kilometers
\nsouthwest of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The jolt was centered at a depth of between 33 kilometers and
\n60 kilometers beneath the Indian Ocean, Sridiharto said.<\/p>\n
It was one of the strongest in a series of earthquakes to rock
\nJava and other parts of the country over the past two years.<\/p>\n
Wednesday was a public holiday and most workers were at home
\nor on holidays with families.<\/p>\n
In Greater Jakarta, people fled from buildings, particularly
\nshopping centers and entertainment places, which were heavily
\ncrowded during the public holiday.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that several windows in its building on Jl.
\nMedan Merdeka in Central Jakarta were broken.<\/p>\n
In Bogor, south of here, many people, including bus passengers
\nand drivers of public vehicles, fled their cars in panic.<\/p>\n
The same sight was also seen in the popular mountainous resort
\narea of Puncak, which was crowded with holiday-makers from
\nJakarta. Many of people left their cars on the streets and ran in
\npanic into the surrounding tea plantations, resulting in heavy
\ntraffic congestion.<\/p>\n
A sales officer of Lippo Carita Apartments, Indra, said the
\napartment suffered minor cracks in one of the connecting walls of
\nthe building.<\/p>\n
\"There are some cracks in the connecting wall but it's not
\ndangerous for the apartment's residents because it's not a
\nstructural wall,\" Indra said during a live interview with
\nElshinta Radio.<\/p>\n
Tanjung Lesung Resort Hotel at the far-western tip of Java
\nfelt the jolt strongly since it is located quite close to the
\nquake's epicenter.<\/p>\n
\"Some of our guests left their rooms immediately, but there is
\nno damage here,\" a security officer at the hotel told the Post.<\/p>\n
Some of the residents of Pandeglang, West Java, said there was
\na black-out in the town for around 15 minutes shortly after the
\nquake and that some buildings received minor cracks.<\/p>\n
\"Some parts of my house walls were cracked and the electricity
\nwent out for some 10 to 15 minutes. Everybody was in a panic
\nhere,\" Husein told the Post by phone. (dja\/bsr\/21)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/western-java-hit-by-major-earthquake-1447893297",
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