Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because it is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire where there is a convergence of several tectonic plates. It spans both the east and west coast of the Pacific Ocean.
Famous volcanoes such as Mount St. Helens and Krakatoa are all part of this ring of active seismic activity. The destructive Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004 was caused by a 9.3 earthquake on the ocean floor near the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.
Cause of the 2009 Indonesia Earthquake
Indonesia is where the Australia tectonic plate is subducting or sliding under the Sunda plate. The quake on September 2nd, 2009 was caused by the rupturing of a fault line on the Australia plate. Most often, the earthquakes in Indonesia occur along the fault line where the two plates collide.
The quake hit just before 3:00 pm in Indonesia. The epicenter was located off the west coat of Java, approximately 120 miles southeast of Jakarta and 31 miles below the ocean floor.
Damage Caused by the 2009 Indonesia Earthquake
West Java was worst hit by the earthquake where a landslide in Cianjur buried 11 homes, including a game arcade full of children. Rescuers did not have any equipment, so they have resorted to digging the debris by hand. According to a September 4, 2009 news report from the Sydney Morning Herald, “At least 13 bodies have been dragged from the debris, including six children. A further 47 were missing, among them 15 children.”
The Sydney Morning Herald also reported that the quake has killed at least 57 people and more than 300 people have been injured and at least 100 were missing. More than 10,000 buildings have collapsed across Java and a further 13,000 have been classified as lightly damaged. Many buildings did not have steel reinforcement in their concrete pillars and an earthquake can cause immediate crumbling.
In a report from Relief Web International, “In Tasikmalaya District, the local government reported that 70 percent of the houses and buildings collapsed in Ciheras village. In Garut District, South Garut is the hardest hit. Around 500 houses are heavily damaged; 10 people died; and 23 people were injured. Most houses in the coastal area are destroyed.“ Many other districts reported extensive destruction of buildings and a small number of deaths.
In Jakarta, office buildings swayed and jumped. There was a mandatory evacuation in the downtown business district. There were no deaths or injuries.
Once the roads are passable, heavy equipment will be able to be brought in to help with excavation and building repair. The assessment of the damage and the final death toll has not yet been determined.
Related Articles on Earthquakes in Indonesia:
Sumatra Earthquake September 30, 2009: Magnitude 7.6 Quake With Epicenter 30 Miles From Padang Indonesia. The Sumatra earthquake occurred only hours after an 8.0 magnitude struck the Samoan Islands and triggered a 20 foot tsunami which killed over 100 people.
Samoa Earthquake and Tsunami September 29, 2009: The 8.0 Magnitude Quake Triggered Waves That Killed over 170 People. An early morning offshore earthquake on September 29, 2009 in the Samoa Islands caused a tsunami that brought death and destruction to American Samoa, Samoa and Tonga.
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