Jakarta, domclub Indonesia
—
Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (
BMKG
) emphasized that Kalimantan is not a completely safe area from
earthquake
.Seismicity records since the beginning of the 20th century show that Tarakan City in North Kalimantan is actually one of the areas with the highest seismic activity on the island.
“Kalimantan is not an earthquake-free region, and the potential for damaging earthquakes remains, even though its seismic activity is lower than other regions in Indonesia such as Sumatra, Java or Sulawesi,” said BMKG Earthquake and Tsunami Director Daryono, Friday (7/11).
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Historical records show that Tarakan experienced several damaging earthquakes in 1923, 1925, 1936, until again in 2025 in the same area.The recurring pattern is related to the activity of the Tarakan Fault, one of the active faults in the northern part of Kalimantan.
Daryono emphasized that these findings emphasize that Kalimantan is not a completely earthquake-free area, because the existence of an active fault system on the island still poses a threat.
“This confirms that Kalimantan has an active fault system that can trigger significant earthquakes,” he said.
According to him, the Tarakan earthquake on November 5 with a magnitude of M4.8 still caused real damage, regardless of the magnitude.This incident confirms that building quality is the main factor.
“This incident also confirms that building quality is still the main factor that determines the size of the impact,” he continued.
History of Destructive Earthquakes in Kalimantan
According to BMKG records, a number of large and destructive earthquakes have occurred in Kalimantan.The following are several earthquake events with significant strength and damage on the island of Kalimantan:
1. Sangkulirang East Kalimantan Earthquake and Tsunami 14 May 1921
After the large earthquake that occurred in Sangkulirang, East Kalimantan, a tsunami occurred which caused moderate to heavy damage to many structures, which were reported to have intensity VII-VIII MMI.
2. Tarakan Earthquake, North Kalimantan, April 19 1923
The Tarakan earthquake had a strength of M7.0 and shook on the VII-VIII MMI scale, causing moderate to heavy damage to many buildings and ground cracks in Tarakan.
3. Tarakan Earthquake, North Kalimantan, February 14, 1925
According to reports, this earthquake produced very strong shaking with an intensity between VI and VII MMI, damaging many buildings in Tarakan.
4. Tarakan Earthquake, North Kalimantan, February 28, 1936
This third strong earthquake occurred with M6.5 and also caused damage to houses.
5. South Kalimantan Sea Island Earthquake February 5 2008
An earthquake measuring M5.8 occurred in the Makassar Strait, which is located northeast of Laut Kotabaru Island.The shaking was very strong on Laut Island, Sebuku Island, Sembilan Island, Pagatan and Batulicin on the MMI IV-V intensity scale.
6. Tarakan Earthquake, North Kalimantan 21 December 2015
The earthquake with a strength of M6.1 was centered in the sea, 29 km northeast of Tarakan.The earthquake was felt strongly in Tarakan, Nunukan and Tanjung Selor, and damaged dozens of houses in Tarakan.The next earthquake occurred 16 times.
7. West Kalimantan Kendawangan Earthquake June 24 2016
The Kandawangan earthquake with a magnitude of M5.1 occurred off Kendawangan Beach, 119 km southwest of Ketapang, and at a depth of 10 km.The cause is active fault activity on the seabed that has not been known and has not been previously mapped.
8.Katingan Earthquake, Central Kalimantan, July 14 2018
This earthquake with a strength of M4.2 was felt in the Katingan, Kasongan, Batutinggi and Bengkuang areas with an intensity of III-IV MMI.There were reports of minor damage to one home.
9. Banjar Earthquake, South Kalimantan 13 February 2024
An earthquake with a strength of M4.8 rocked Banjar Regency.The epicenter of the earthquake was 19 km northeast of Banjar, 10 km deep, and was a type of shallow earthquake caused by Meratus Fault activity.
10. Tarakan Earthquake, North Kalimantan 5 November 2025
Shallow M4.8 earthquake shakes Tarakan;The epicenter of the earthquake was in the sea, 24 km southeast of Tarakan, and a depth of 10 km.The earthquake was felt in Tarakan with an intensity of IV-V MMI.
(wpj/dmi)
[Gambas:domclub Video]
Read More: Trump asks for BLT for US citizens during government shutdown
Read More: Portugal to Singapore, the longest train journey in the world
