Illustration photo. (Source: TEMPO)

The head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, announced on November 26 that at least 611 consecutive earthquakes had occurred, forcing thousands of people from 19 villages in Jailolo sub-district of West Halmahera District to evacuate.

934 houses were damaged, of which 237 were severely damaged; 11 buildings, which were public facilities, were damaged by the tremors. The earthquake also created a 500-meter-long crack in the ground in the village of Galala.

The Chief Minister of West Halmahera District has declared a 14-day state of emergency and deployed staff to handle 75 emergencies.

The North Maluku provincial government has delivered 400 boxes of instant noodles and mineral water to the residents. The disaster mitigation agency in the West Halmahera region has also distributed some aid to the displaced households.

The government has set up a working group with the military and police to assess the damage caused by the quake. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency has also advised people to be cautious and calm in the face of tremors. The agency said the earthquake that struck West Halmahera was a sustained earthquake measuring less than 5 on the Richter scale.

Previously, North Maluku province in northeastern Indonesia also experienced a 6.8-magnitude earthquake on August 27.

Indonesia is one of the countries located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so geological activities such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions often occur./.

According to Vietnam+