PVMBG Conducts Earthquake Potential Mapping in Bengkulu City
Bengkulu City (ANTARA) - A team from the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of the Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has carried out mapping to identify potential risks and impacts of earthquakes in Bengkulu City.
This mapping was conducted as a follow-up to a letter previously sent by the Mayor of Bengkulu last year, after the city was hit by an earthquake in May 2025 that caused dozens of houses to suffer severe damage.
“This visit is a response to the letter from the Mayor of Bengkulu, while also strengthening the results of the mapping we have already conducted in 67 urban villages to determine the earthquake hazard potential in Bengkulu City,” said one of the PVMBG team members from the Ministry of ESDM RI, Imam, in Bengkulu City on Wednesday.
The PVMBG team’s visit was also carried out, he said, to discuss the geological hazard potential in the Bengkulu City area and as part of data-based disaster mitigation efforts.
Assistant III of the Bengkulu City Regional Secretariat (Setda), Tony Elfian, added that the PVMBG team’s activities are very important because Bengkulu City is one of the areas prone to earthquakes.
His side hopes that the results of the PVMBG team’s study can serve as a basis for compiling more effective mitigation steps to minimise disaster impacts and increase community preparedness.
It is known that the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Kepahiang Geophysics Station recorded 627 earthquakes in Bengkulu Province from January to December 2025.
“During 2025, we recorded 627 earthquake events in Bengkulu Province, with a total of 32 earthquake events felt by the people in Bengkulu,” said the Junior Meteorology and Geophysics Observer (PMG) of the Kepahiang Geophysics Station - Bengkulu, Detalia Nurutami.
The areas in Bengkulu Province that frequently experience earthquakes are on average in Enggano Island, North Bengkulu Regency, Seluma Regency, South Bengkulu Regency, and Kaur Regency.
The most significant earthquake felt by the people of Bengkulu was a magnitude 6.0 event on 23 May 2025 at 02:52 WIB, caused by deformation activity beneath the Earth’s crust, which could be felt by the public.
The earthquake was felt at Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale IV to V, causing damage at several points in Bengkulu Province, such as five houses damaged in Central Bengkulu Regency, 192 houses damaged in Bengkulu City, and several public facilities damaged such as schools, mosques, office buildings, and the Balai Buntar in Bengkulu City.