Zaky Pawas & Antara, Jakarta Globe 1 Mar 10;
Nature seemed to be on a rampage on Sunday. Wild weather baffled many in West Java and Jakarta while mid-sized earthquakes managed to shake different provinces across the country, just days after Tuesday’s landslide at a tea plantation in West Java that has so far claimed 33 lives.
A heavy downpour of sleet and strong winds hit Bandung on Sunday afternoon, while hail-like rain slammed the regions of Antapani, Cicaheum, Gedebage, Ujungberung and Cileunyi areas, Antara reported.
The storm claimed the life of a resident identified as Usep in Ujungberung subdistrict of Bandung. He died after the storm caused a tree to fall on a small hut in which he had taken shelter, killing him instantly, witnesses said.
Bandung residents expressed curiosity about the sleet, which reportedly caused damage to the roofs of many houses in Cidurian and Cisaranten areas in Bandung. There is concern the heavy downpour could cause the Citarum River to overflow and worsen the floods affecting Baleendah and Dayeuhkolot subdistricts around Bandung.
In the capital, strong winds and torrential rains in Ciputat, South Jakarta, toppled three billboards and a number of trees. Four people were injured as a result of flying roof tiles, while falling trees and billboards left a number of vehicles damaged. In East Jakarta, strong winds caused a tree to crash on top of a car parked at the Taman Mini Indonesia recreational park.
A 5.2-magnitude quake shook the town of Tarutung in North Sumatra, leaving residents in a state of panic. The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said on its Web site that the quake struck at 7:13 p.m. on Sunday.
“The power went out immediately after the quake,” Anderson, a resident of Tarutung, told the Jakarta Globe.
“Plates on the dining table fell to the floor and broke,” Anderson said, adding that aftershocks were felt at least 10 times up until 10.30 p.m.
“The rain’s very heavy and residents are staying home following the quake. They’re all very scared. What we’re most worried about is a landslide,” Anderson said.
Meanwhile, the BMG reported that a 5-magnitude earthquake shook Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara province at 3:33 p.m. local time on Sunday. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
A 5-magnitude quake also shook Saumlaki, Maluku.
