Seven people sustain minor injuries after Bali quake, officials reaffirm the island ‘remains safe’
Seven people sustained minor injuries and more than 44 buildings have been damaged following the magnitude-5.8 earthquake that struck southwest of Bali yesterday morning, according to the Bali Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD).
In a report published yesterday at 7pm, BPBD announced that most of the damage took place in Badung regency, where 36 buildings were affected by the quake. Photos displaying the extent of the damage from the quake have been circulating on social media.
In a video posted on Instagram, parts of a cliff near Melasti beach in South Kuta seems to have collapsed as a result of the tremors.
Another video posted on Twitter also showed a glimpse of the panic that people experienced when the earthquake –which lasted about 30 seconds – struck.
Saat-saat cemas kejadian gempa bumi di Bali siang tadi. pic.twitter.com/KFpvMwFHmG
— MyWatch (@My_CrimeWatch) July 16, 2019
The quake’s epicenter was 83 kilometers southwest of the island, hitting at a depth of 68 kilometers at 8:18am yesterday. The agency first announced that the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.0, but that was later revised to 5.8. No tsunami warning was issued, and tremors were reportedly felt in parts of West Nusa Tenggara, as well as Banyuwangi and Jember in East Java.
BPBD’s latest estimate puts the losses from the earthquake at IDR 692 million (USD 49,516).
In a statement issued today by the secretary of Bali’s provincial government, Dewa Made Indra, officials declared that Bali remains safe, adding that no tourists were affected by the quake.
“Bali remains relatively safe [and] tourists can still enjoy Bali’s best activities. Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport operates as normal. No tourists have been affected by the earthquake,” the statement said.
