Shaky Update from Jakarta
Just when we thought the day was settling, a 6.1‑magnitude quake jolted central Indonesia last Friday (Sept 28). The tremor was sharp‑shooting and shallow – only about 18 km down – right near Sulawesi’s coastline, according to the US Geological Survey.
What happened?
- No immediate damage. Residents felt the shake but haven’t reported broken windows or collapsed buildings.
- No tsunami threat. BMKG, Indonesia’s meteorology and geophysics office, gave the all‑clear.
Why they’re so alarmed about earthquakes
Indonesia sits on the notorious Pacific Ring of Fire, a hotspot where tectonic plates collide. The archipelago has a long history of powerful quakes and volcanic activity.
Recent scary events
- ~500 lost lives during a wave of quakes on Lombok this summer; hundreds of thousands found themselves in evac shelters or makeshift tents.
- The 2004 Sumatra disaster: a 9.3‑magnitude sub‑sea quake sent a deadly tsunami ashore, wiping out 220,000 people across the Indian Ocean – 168,000 of them in Indonesia.
Bottom line
While the latest jolt was harmless, it’s a reminder that Indonesia remains one of the world’s most disaster‑prone places. Stay alert, but also remember that modern monitoring means we’re usually kept in the loop.
