Strong earthquake damages dozens of houses on Ambalau Island (Buru Island), Indonesia (also felt on Ambon)

Last update: May 6, 2014 at 10:24 am by By

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Update May 6 : 67 houses were damaged by the quake. 3 people suffered minor injuries.

Update May 3 : Local newspaper kabartimur reports : In Ulima dozens of homes + the Nur Hamza Mosque (Ambalau Island) were damaged to various extend (some severely). One person got injured by a collapsed wall. Most of the houses in the village are showing cracks in the walls. People spend the night outside out of fear for aftershocks.

Update May 3 : Our first estimate was unfortunately the good one. At least 20 houses were damaged to various extend in the village of Uilima (District Ambalau) a tiny island near Buru Island (Palau Buru). The quakes epicenter (preliminary location of the epicenters has always a serious error margin) was closest to Ambelau Island. The regency has not yet asked for help from the regional BPBD.

Screen Shot 2014-05-03 at 10.12.13

Update 09:31 UTC : we decrease our damage estimate based on the reports of local BMKG who is predicting a max. weak shaking at Ambon vs a light shaking as predicted by USGS

Screen Shot 2014-05-02 at 11.22.55

Update 09:19 UTC : The theoretical injuries/fatalities engine from Max Wyss expects neither injuries nor fatalities as a result of this earthquake. ER maintains his slight damage expectation

Update 09:11 UTC : The below data are showing a max. shaking of MMI V (and not MMI III as said earlier) = Moderate shaking may have been felt by 21000 people

Screen Shot 2014-05-02 at 11.02.13 Screen Shot 2014-05-02 at 11.02.21

Update 09:07 UTC : The picture below is the Geofon seismogram at the Indonesia station of Bandaneira (Banda Sea area)

Screen Shot 2014-05-02 at 10.59.16

Update 09:05 UTC : USGS reports a Magnitude of Mw6.0 at a depth of 54 km. Max. expected shaking MMI III (weak shaking).

Screen Shot 2014-05-02 at 10.56.16

Update : the earthquake occurred at intermediate depth of 45 km. We maintain however our moderately dangerous outlook precisely because of the depth. The epicenter is located in the sea in between both islands, but the intermediate depth will bring the shaking in a wider area and thus also on the islands.

Screen Shot 2014-05-02 at 10.52.04

572 km N of Dili, East Timor / pop: 150,000 / local time: 17:43:37.0 2014-05-02
75 km W of Ambon, Indonesia / pop: 355,596 / local time: 17:43:37.0 2014-05-02

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 5.8

Local Time (conversion only below land) : Unknown

GMT/UTC Time : 2014-05-02 08:43:34

Depth (Hypocenter) : 46 km

Depth and Magnitude updates in the list below.

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SRC Location UTC Date/time M D INFO
USGS Namlea, Indonesia May 02 08:43 6.0 54 MAP I Felt It
EMSC Seram, Indonesia May 02 08:43 5.8 46 MAP I Felt It
GEOFON Seram, Indonesia May 02 08:43 5.8 46 MAP I Felt It INFO

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Country where you felt the earthquake
City/Village where you felt the earthquake
Street or suburb (area) where you felt the earthquake
Latitude (area) where you felt the earthquake
Longitude (area) where you felt the earthquake
MMI II (Very weak shaking) ?
People :
Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favorably placed.
MMI III (Weak shaking) ?
People :
Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks, duration may be estimated, may not be recognized as an earthquake.
MMI IV (Light shaking) ?
People :
Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building.
Fittings :
Doors and windows rattle. Glassware and crockery rattle. Liquids in open vessels may be slightly disturbed. Standing motorcars may rock.
Structures :
Walls and frames of buildings, and partitions and suspended ceilings in commercial buildings, may be heard to creak.
MMI V (Moderate shaking) ?
People :
Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed.
Fittings :
Small unstable objects are displaced or upset. Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Hanging pictures knock against the wall. Open doors may swing. Cupboard doors secured by magnetic catches may open. Pendulum clocks stop, start, or change rate.
Structures :
Some large display windows cracked. A few earthenware toilet fixtures cracked.
MMI VI (Strong shaking) ?
People Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Difficulty experienced in walking steadily.
Fittings :
Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall from walls. Some furniture moved on smooth floors, some unsecured free-standing fireplaces moved. Glassware and crockery broken. Very unstable furniture overturned. Small church and school bells ring. Appliances move on bench or table tops. Filing cabinets or "easy glide" drawers may open (or shut).
Structures :
Slight damage to buildings with low standard. Some stucco or cement plaster falls. Large display windows broken. Damage to a few weak domestic chimneys, some may fall.
Environment :
Trees and bushes shake, or are heard to rustle. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground, e.g. existing slides, talus slopes, shingle slides.
MMI VII (Very strong shaking) ?
People
General alarm. Difficulty experienced in standing. Noticed by motorcar drivers who may stop.
Fittings :
Large bells ring. Furniture moves on smooth floors, may move on carpeted floors. Substantial damage to fragile contents of buildings.
Structures :
Unreinforced stone and brick walls cracked. Low standard buildings cracked with some minor masonry falls. A few instances of damage to buildings of ordinary workmanship. Unbraced parapets, unbraced brick gables, and architectural ornaments fall. Roofing tiles, especially ridge tiles may be dislodged. Many unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, often falling from roof-line. Water tanks Type I burst. A few instances of damage to brick veneers and plaster or cement-based linings. Unrestrained water cylinders (hot-water cylinders) may move and leak. Some common windows cracked. Suspended ceilings damaged.
Environment :
Water made turbid by stirred up mud. Small slides such as falls of sand and gravel banks, and small rock-falls from steep slopes and cuttings. Instances of settlement of unconsolidated or wet, or weak soils. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances of liquefaction (i.e. small water and sand ejections).
MMI VIII (Severe shaking) ?
People Alarm may approach panic. Steering of motorcars greatly affected. Structures : Low standard buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. ordinary workmanship buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged in some cases. A few instances of damage to buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes. Monuments and pre-1976 elevated tanks and factory stacks twisted or brought down. Some pre-1965 infill masonry panels damaged. A few post-1980 brick veneers damaged. Decayed timber piles of houses damaged. Houses not secured to foundations may move. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, some below roof-line, many brought down. Environment : Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Small to moderate slides in roadside cuttings and unsupported excavations. Small water and sand ejections and localized lateral spreading adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
MMI IX (Violent shaking) ?
Structures Many low standard buildings destroyed. Ordinary workmanship buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes damaged in some cases, some with flexible frames seriously damaged. Damage or permanent distortion to some buildings and bridges, designed and built to normal use standards. Houses not secured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose frames. Environment : Cracking of ground conspicuous. Landsliding general on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified and more widespread, with large lateral spreading and flow sliding adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
Write your experience below + let us know if your property has been damaged (even slight damage) or if you have knowledge of any damage caused by this earthquake. (max. 500 characters)
Filed Under: CatDat ORANGE, Damaging earthquakes, Dangerous earthquakes, earthquakes, M +5 quakes

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