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The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has said that fragile rocks are one of the factors behind frequent earthquakes in Jayapura, Papua.

"Earthquakes that have occurred in the Jayapura area and its surroundings have been happening frequently. This is a result of the condition of the rocks, which are included in the brittle type. This fragile condition makes them sensitive to shaking," BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati informed at an online press conference, which was accessed from Jakarta on Thursday.

Based on BMKG’s observations, in the period from January 2, 2023, till 2:25 p.m. local time on February 9, as many as 1,079 earthquakes were recorded in the area around Jayapura city, with 132 earthquakes felt by the community, she informed.

"Jayapura area has the characteristic of an earthquake with high frequency. The earthquakes are shallow and the rocks break easily, so there has been continuous activity since January this year," she disclosed.

After the 5.4M earthquake that occurred at 3:28 p.m. local time on Thursday, the local community is expected to inspect their homes.

"Avoid cracked or damaged buildings caused by the earthquake. Check and make sure the building is earthquake resistant, or there is no damage due to earthquake that could endanger the stability of the building before the residents return to their house," Karnawati advised.

On the same occasion, head of the BMKG’s Earthquake and Tsunami Center, Daryono, said the Jayapura area is an active and complex seismic area.

"This is reflected in the different mechanisms of the earthquake that occurred on January 2, 2023. At that time, it was an earthquake with a descending mechanism, now, the earthquake is caused by a moving fault. This shows that this area is an active and complex seismic area," he noted.

He added that rocks in Jayapura region also have fragile characteristics that easily trigger earthquakes.

"We must remind the people in Jayapura and its surrounding area to ensure that they build earthquake-resistant buildings in the region. The buildings will be safe from earthquakes that can occur anytime," he said. (Antaranews)