Day: January 14, 2022

JAKARTA— A 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook the island of Java, Indonesia at 4.05 pm (Western Indonesia Time) on Friday, but no tsunami alert was issued.

The tremor was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometres underwater.

According to Indonesia’s Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the quake was 52 km from Southwest Sumur-Banten and 197 km from Southwest Jakarta.

The epicentre was determined to be at coordinates 7.01 degree south latitude and 105.26 degrees east longitude.

Tremors were felt in Banten, Jakarta, West Java and Lampung at the southern tip of Sumatra Island, causing many people to flee their homes and buildings in panic.

An admin clerk, Herning Rini, was taken by surprise when the quake occurred while she was doing her works at home in Depok City, West Java.

“I shut off my personal computer’s power at the control box and get into the open, away from the house. I try to maintain a rational state of mind and praying silently,” she said.

Hours later, BMKG lowered the quake magnitude to 6.6. It also generated a series of aftershocks at a magnitude of 3.7 and 3.5.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said there were no immediate reports of any loss of life.

Preliminary assessments were still in early stages but several homes were damaged in Pandeglang, Banten, BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari said.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

SUVA– The volcano in Tonga’s Hunga Ha’apai island, erupted again today, sending ash, steam and gas into the air.

According to Tonga’s news website, Matangi Tonga Online, the volcano, about 65 km north of capital city, Nuku’alofa, has erupted continuously since esrly this morning, raising the plume to an altitude of five to 20 km above sea level.

Volcanic ash was also reported from the island of Fonoi, in the Ha’apai Group and some islands.

Taaniela Kula, the Tonga Geological Services head, said, the eruption, which had a radius of 260 km, was about seven times more powerful than the last eruption on Dec 20, last year.

A national tsunami marine warning issued early today advises Tongans to stay away from coastal areas, after swirling abnormal tides drew crowds to the Nuku’alofa waterfront.

All Tongan civil servants were instructed to go back home this afternoon, as government offices are closed, due to the tsunami warning.

Authorities stressed that, there is no need for any evacuation but people are advised to keep away from beaches and low lying coastlines, and to wear masks when commuting, due to the smell of sulphur from the eruption.

Tonga police were patrolling the seafront Vuna Road, in the capital, and using loud speakers to ask people to move away to higher ground.

The Tonga Geological Services urged Tongans to stay indoors and protect their rainwater harvestings.

The volcano is part of the highly active Tonga-Kermadec Islands’ volcanic arc, a subduction zone extending from New Zealand north-northeast, to Fiji.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

KUALA LUMPUR— Malaysia has expressed its intention to continue regional cooperation and smart partnerships on the climate change agenda among policymakers, scientists, private sector and agro community of the D-8 countries.

Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Ronald Kiandee said Malaysia also shared on specific strategies taken to support the climate change agenda including encouraging the use of technology and automation in smart farming approaches and creating a conducive ecosystem for industry.

“Strengthen the collection of data related to the country’s food security so that it can be accessed and monitored, including the effects of climate change on the agriculture sector.

“… as well as intensifying research, development, commercialisation and innovation on other potential alternatives to adapt to climate change,” he said in a post on his Facebook page Friday.

The matter was raised by Ronald who led the Malaysian delegation at the 7th D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Food Security which was held virtually on Thursday.

In addressing the main challenges in the agriculture sector, Ronald also emphasised the efforts taken by the government, including developing the National Agrofood Policy 2021-2030 and the National Food Security Policy Action Plan 2021-2025.

At the meeting chaired by the Minister of Agriculture of Bangladesh, Ronald also said that Dhaka Initiatives were finalised which among others to develop the direction of cooperation and sharing of agricultural technology towards Climate Smart Agriculture.

“The meeting also expects support from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) as well as other strategic partners in assisting D-8 member countries,” he said.

D-8 is an organisation for development cooperation that groups Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK