JakartaPost-Aug 21, 2025
Authorities are continuing to assess damage and monitor casualties after a 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck Bekasi, West Java, on Wednesday night, shaking the Greater Jakarta area and sparking concern over the capital’s preparedness for seismic disasters. The quake struck at 7:54 p.m. with its epicenter 19 kilometers southeast of Bekasi regency at a depth of 10 km. Tremors rippled across Greater Jakarta and were felt as far as Karawang regency and Bandung, the West Java capital, prompting residents to evacuate buildings and seek safety in open areas. Several public services were briefly disrupted, with commuter line trains (KRL) across Greater Jakarta and the Whoosh Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway temporarily suspended. By Thursday morning, the Karawang Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported damage to 37 houses and four public facilities and government buildings across five districts. In Bekasi regency, local BPBD officials reported only minor damage to a musholla (prayer room) in Bojongmangu district, while Jakarta confirmed no injuries or structural damage to buildings and public facilities. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said the Bekasi quake was part of a broader series of seismic activity across West Java. Geophysics Station head Teguh Rahayu attributed the quakes to activity along the West Java back arc thrust fault. Disaster management expert Mizan Bisri of the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) and Japan’s Kobe University said that that although the Bekasi quake caused no casualties or major structural damage, both the central government and local administrations across Greater Jakarta must remain alert to the risks of land-based quakes given West Java’s many active faults. “Like it or not, tectonic activity will remain part of daily life for people in Greater Jakarta and West Java. While authorities work to improve early warning systems, the government must also ensure stronger preparedness and mitigation,” he said on Thursday. Read more at:
