May 21, 2026 | 11:36 am
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake jolted Tasikmalaya, Garut, Ciamis, and surrounding areas in West Java at 04:04 a.m. local time on early Thursday, May 21, 2026. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) pinpointed the epicenter at sea, some 68 kilometers southwest of Pangandaran Regency.Hartanto, the head of the BMKG Regional Office II in Tangerang, noted that the earthquake was a shallow one, originating at a depth of 21 kilometers. "It was triggered by the activity of an active underwater fault," he explained in a written statement released on Thursday morning.The tremors were felt across Tasikmalaya and Garut at an intensity of III MMI, meaning the shaking was felt indoors, resembling the vibration of a passing truck. Meanwhile, the neighboring Ciamis area experienced tremors varying between II and III MMI."There have been no immediate reports of structural damage caused by the earthquake," Hartanto said. He added that no aftershocks had been recorded as of 04:35 a.m. local time.West Java has seen a flurry of seismic activity over the past few days. On Tuesday afternoon, May 19, 2026, residents of Sukabumi and its surrounding areas were startled by a magnitude 2.6 quake. Its epicenter was located just 13 kilometers west of Sukabumi city at sea, registering as another shallow inland quake triggered by an active fault line.Just days prior, on May 17, the same region was struck by another magnitude 4.7 earthquake. In that event, the epicenter was mapped at sea, 63 kilometers southeast of Sukabumi Regency, striking at a shallow depth of 28 kilometers.Read: Indonesia Faces Megathrust Threat as 200-Year Cycle Nears EndClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
