A Century On: Journalist Launches Book Reflecting on the Devastating 1926 Padang Panjang Earthquake

A century after a devastating earthquake struck the Padang Panjang region, journalist Yose Hendra has launched a book chronicling the historic disaster. The launch of ‘Gempa Tujuh Hari’ (Seven-Day Earthquake) took place at the Minangkabau Cultural Documentation and Information Centre (PDIKM) in Padang Panjang on Saturday, marking 100 years since the event on 28 June 1926. The over 300-page book is the culmination of 14 years of independent research by Hendra, who is also a member of the Sumatra Fault Institute. He stated that the book aims to contribute to the narrative of one of the largest disasters in West Sumatra during the Dutch colonial period. His research reveals that the 1926 event is the most complete documentation of an inland earthquake originating from the Sumatran Fault. The book highlights a ‘doublet earthquake’ phenomenon, where two fault segments released energy in quick succession. The first quake struck the Sumani segment at 10:04 local time with a magnitude above 6.6. Less than three hours later, a more powerful second quake hit the Sianok segment, reaching an intensity of IX on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. Seismograph records from the Batavia Observatory confirmed the second tremor was stronger, illustrating the fragmented nature of the Sumatran Fault. The book reconstructs the scale of destruction using primary colonial archives, noting that at least 2,383 houses collapsed or were heavily damaged in the Padang Panjang area, with 247 fatalities. The Aneta news agency at the time estimated losses at 10 million guilders. The earthquake dramatically altered the landscape, with a massive landslide in the Anai Valley burying the main postal road and severing the railway line. A rare seiche was also reported on Lake Singkarak, where large waves struck the shore and swept away houses. A key finding in the book is the comparison of structural resilience, noting that rigid colonial-style masonry buildings largely collapsed, whereas traditional wooden Minangkabau Rumah Gadang proved more flexible and withstood the violent shaking. BRIN geology expert Danny Hilman Natawidjaja praised the book as a humanistic educational tool for disaster awareness, emphasising that living on active tectonic land requires understanding and preparedness. The head of BMKG’s Padang Panjang Geophysics Station noted that the seismogram findings in the book provide an important scientific contribution for recalculating the energy of past earthquakes as a reference for future mitigation. The book launch was part of a series of events held by the Padang Panjang city government to reflect on the centenary of the 1926 earthquake, reinforcing community solidarity and a culture of disaster awareness.