A strong earthquake measuring Magnitude 6.0 struck near the coast of Bengkulu Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, at 19:52 UTC on May 22, 2025 (02:52 local time, May 23). The quake caused significant structural damage across several regencies, affecting at least 206 buildings, including 140 residential homes.
Earthquake Details
The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) initially recorded the quake at M6.3, later revising it to M6.0. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured it at M5.7 with a depth of 68 km (42 miles). The BMKG placed the epicenter 43 km (27 miles) southwest of Bengkulu City at a depth of 84 km (52 miles).
According to USGS PAGER data:
- 97,000 people experienced strong shaking
- 509,000 felt moderate shaking
- Over 2.8 million experienced light tremors
The quake was attributed to intraslab deformation beneath the Earth’s crust and was felt across nearly the entire province, with Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) levels reported between III and VI. Authorities confirmed there was no tsunami risk.
Damage Assessment
According to officials, the quake damaged:
- 140 homes across Bengkulu City, Central Bengkulu Regency, North Bengkulu, and Seluma Regency
- 35 homes in Betungan Village (Rafflesia Griya Asri complex), of which 8 were severely damaged
- Public infrastructure, including:
- 2 schools
- 1 mosque
- 1 sub-district office
- 1 community meeting hall
- 1 early childhood education center (PAUD) in Central Bengkulu Regency
Search and rescue teams were promptly deployed to assess and assist in the affected areas.
“We have deployed teams to assess the affected areas, specifically in Betungan Village. Of the 35 impacted homes, eight were severely damaged,” said Muslikun Sodik, Head of the Bengkulu Basarnas Office.
Casualties and Ongoing Response
Some injuries have been reported, though no fatalities have been confirmed as of May 27.
The earthquake struck along Sumatra’s highly seismic western coast, a region that forms part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, known for its frequent and often powerful tectonic activity.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation and provide support to those affected.
Loma Prieta earthquake, 1989 Picture by CRonline
