4.7-Magnitude Quake Jolts Mataram

MATARAM, W Nusa Tenggara, Nov 24 (Antara) - A 4.7-magnitude undersea earthquake hit the West Nusa Tenggara provincial capital of Mataram early Thursday but it caused no tsunami, according to the local geophysics station. The epicenter of the earthquake which struck at 00.21 a.m. local time was in the sea 23 km northwest of Mataram at a depth of 24 km, Chief of the Mataram Geophysics Station Agus Riyanto said. The earthquake was also felt by people living in Nusa Dua, Karangasem and Denpasar in neighboring Bali island at I-II on the modified merchalli intensity (MMI), he said. Agus asked the local people to remain calm and follow the instruction issued by the Regional Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD) and the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). He also called on the people living in the western coastal area of Mataram and the eastern coastal area of Karangasem not to take rumors of a tsunami seriously. There was no immediate report of casualties or material damage. The earthquake was the second to hit Mataram since March 31 this year when an earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale rocked the capital of West Nusa Tenggara province. The March 31, 2016 earthquake was centered 17 km northwest of Mataram at a depth of 12 km.