President Jokowi Tells BNPB to Improve Public Awareness on ‘Megathrust’ Quake

President Jokowi meets reporters on the sidelines of Working Cabinet Family Gathering, at the Bogor Presidential Palace West Java, Sunday (4/8). (Photo by: AGUNG/PR)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has ordered the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) to heighten public awareness about the possibility of megathrust (a large earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale) in the southern part of Java.

“I have instructed the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and Coordinating Ministers to prepare evacuation plan and improve public awareness,” the President said on the sidelines of the Working Cabinet Family Gathering at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Sunday (4/8).

On that occasion, the President also applauded the evacuation process during the 6.9 magnitude quake occurred in Banten on Friday (2/8), adding that disaster education is important, especially on earthquake that is always unpredictable.

In the meantime, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has reported that no one can predict location, time, and scale of the megathrust. Therefore, the BMKG urged people to remain calm in response to the viral news on social media regarding the megathrust.

“We urge the public to remain calm but vigilant and not to believe in unverified rumors,” Head of Earthquake and Tsunami Center of the BMKG Rahmat Triyono said in his press release on Sunday (4/8). (SLN/UN/DID/AGG/ES)

Translated by : Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Edited by : Ridwan Ibadurrohman, M. Ersan Pamungkas