BANDUNG (ANN/JAKARTA POST) – A magnitude-5 earthquake struck West Java on Wednesday morning, injuring at least 20 people and damaging several homes and public facilities across Bandung and Garut regencies.
The earthquake, which hit at 9:41 am, caused widespread disruption in at least three villages in Bandung and five in Garut, according to West Java Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) official, Hadi Rahmat.
Several people were trapped under rubble in Bandung, with one person sustaining minor injuries, five suffering serious injuries requiring hospital treatment, and 14 others moderately injured. Hadi added that the number of victims is expected to increase as assessments continue.
Initial reports from BPBD indicated significant structural damage, including eight houses, two healthcare facilities, a place of worship, and an educational facility in Bandung regency. In Garut, the earthquake damaged seven homes and an educational facility.
“We are still conducting assessments in the field,” Hadi said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported the earthquake’s epicenter was inland, about 24 kilometers southeast of Bandung, with a depth of 10 kilometers. The quake registered as a magnitude-5 according to BMKG, though data from Germany’s GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) recorded a slightly stronger magnitude of 5.3.
BMKG official M. Wafid attributed the earthquake to active fault movement. The quake was felt at varying levels of intensity across the region, with shaking reaching intensity III-IV MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) in Majalaya, intensity III in Banjaran, and intensity II-III in areas such as Lembang, Parompong, Baleendah, and Garut. These intensities describe moderate shaking, with minimal to no structural damage.
Wafid added that most of the affected areas fall within medium earthquake hazard zones and recommended residents in damaged homes evacuate to safer areas.
The earthquake also disrupted operations on the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway (HSR). PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), the HSR operator, canceled 14 train trips between Halim Station in Jakarta and Tegalluar Station in West Java as a precautionary measure following eight aftershocks of varying magnitudes.
KCIC spokesperson Eva Chairunisa said the cancellations were made to prioritise passenger safety. “We immediately began inspecting the tracks using maintenance trains to ensure no external factors, such as landslides, had impacted the tracks,” she said, adding that the process covered all 144 kilometers of track, including bridges, tunnels, and above-ground sections.
Visual and sensor data from CCTV cameras monitoring the track infrastructure showed no damage, and passengers with tickets for the canceled trips are eligible for full refunds, Chairunisa confirmed.
The BMKG continues to monitor the situation as aftershocks persist, urging residents to stay vigilant and follow safety protocols.
