Bali seismic situation. Earthquake in Sulawesi: what is known about the situation in Indonesia. How to find out about volcanic eruptions and tremors on the island of Bali

The earthquake in Bali and Lombok occurred on July 29, 2018. Since then, the tense situation has remained in this region, with tremors occurring periodically. I will tell you about the situation on the islands today, whether it is safe for tourists to be here, as well as about forecasts from seismologists in this article.

Chronology of events since July 29, 2018

• On July 29, 2018, at 06:47 local time, an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 occurred on the island of Lombok, followed by 11 aftershocks (seismic aftershocks). As a result of the disaster, 16 people were killed, more than 162 were injured of varying severity, and dozens of houses were damaged. There are no Russians among the victims.
• Due to landslides that appeared after the earthquake, more than a thousand climbers and tourists were blocked on the Rinjani volcano and were unable to descend from it on their own. The rescue operation began immediately.

• On the island of Bali, the parking lot of the Bali Galleria mall in Denpasar partially collapsed, damage was recorded in some houses in Nusa Dua, Denpasar, Tabanan, and in some places the ceiling collapsed in the terminal building of Ngurah Rai Airport. The head of the airport's public relations department, Arief, said that the airport's main assets (the runway, taxiway and airport apron) were not damaged by the earthquake. The airport operates as usual.

• According to the head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency, Dewa Putu Mantera, in Bali, as a result of the earthquake, 2 people were killed, 7 people were seriously injured, 10 were slightly injured. Currently, 147 cases of damage to buildings and religious structures have been recorded on the island.
• On August 6, 2018, schools in the northern part of Lombok were canceled due to fears of another earthquake.
• As of 08:00, Lombok's local airport is once again accepting arriving passengers.

• As of August 7, more than ten thousand tourists and local residents have been evacuated from the island of Lombok. More than 3 thousand tourists were taken from the small islands of the Gili archipelago, and about 2.5 thousand to the island of Bali. Rescue operations are ongoing.
• Lombok continues to be rocked by aftershocks: At least 163 aftershocks have been recorded since the earthquake, but people could only feel 13 of them. In general, the situation on the islands is calm, there is no reason to panic.
• Specifically on the island of Bali there is no major destruction. Some buildings were damaged, but special repair services are already fixing the problems. People continue to relax in the resort area.
• Both airports (Bali Airport and Lombok Airport) are operational. Bali airport is operating as usual, Lombok airport is operating around the clock for the next three days. Also in the latter, several additional flights were introduced (to the largest cities on the island of Java, Bali, Kuala Lumpur) so that everyone could leave the island. In addition, AirAsia airline announced on its official page that anyone can move their departure date to another day without additional investment and subject to availability. In total, the additional flights will be able to carry up to 770 passengers.
• As of August 7, 2018, the earthquake killed 105 people, injured 236, and destroyed thousands of homes in Lombok, Sumbawa and Bali. The main damage occurred on the island of Lombok. Most of the dead were victims of building collapses. 2 people died in Bali.
• There are no foreign tourists among the victims of the earthquake on the islands of Indonesia, and no visits to medical institutions with serious injuries from vacationers have been recorded either. Also on my

91 people died as a result of a powerful earthquake on the Indonesian island of Lombok.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake destroyed thousands of buildings and caused power outages on the island, the BBC reported. The epicenter of the tremors was at a depth of 30 kilometers underground.

More than 1,000 tourists were evacuated by boat from the nearby Gili Islands and at least one person died in the disaster in Bali. Temporary emergency tents were erected on the islands to provide first aid to the victims.

Photo taken from baliforum.ru

More than 130 aftershocks were recorded after the earthquake.

According to the Russian Embassy in Jakarta, there are no citizens of the Russian Federation among the victims.

Let us remind you that this is the second major earthquake recorded in this region over the past ten days. On July 29, earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.4 occurred there, killing 16 people.

How safe is it to vacation in Indonesia and Bali in particular?

Lombok is located a few kilometers east of the popular tourist island of Bali. The two islands are home to approximately three and four million people respectively. Every year they are visited by millions of tourists from all over the world.

Let us remind you that in addition to the earthquake, Indonesia suffered from another disaster in September last year - before the start of the winter season, the Agung volcano became active on the island. Periodically, eruptions of lava, stones, sand and ash are recorded there, and the 4-kilometer zone around the crater is considered dangerous. People living in close proximity to the crater were evacuated to a safe distance.

In this regard, recently tourists are increasingly asking the question “is it safe to vacation in Indonesia today?” Despite the fact that the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia assures that tourists are not in danger in Bali, hoteliers have begun to reduce prices for accommodation so as not to lose customers. The government of the country, in turn, has allocated $7 million since the beginning of the year for a program to promote tourism.

Today it is impossible to say unequivocally that it is safe to live in Indonesia, since earthquakes are quite common here. It is possible to predict possible seismic activity, but it is impossible to name the exact place and time. Moreover, strong earthquakes often lead to a powerful tsunami that destroys everything in its path.

Why do earthquakes occur frequently in Indonesia?

An earthquake is a consequence of a seismic wave formed as a result of the movement of lithospheric plates. If plate drift occurs at the surface, it will be followed by a minor earthquake. More powerful earthquakes occur at the boundaries of shifting plates. Indonesia is located at the junction of three lithospheric plates, and the most active of them, the Pacific, is constantly moving and going under the Eurasian one. This process is the reason for such violent seismic activity in this region.

Scientists say that the likelihood of new tremors in Southeast Asia is quite high. Since the beginning of the century before last, about 100 tremors have been recorded. The most terrible and destructive of them occurred in the 21st century.

At the end of 2004, a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.3 occurred in the Indian Ocean. It was caused by a sharp movement of the Indian tectonic plate under the Burma plate. The earthquake, tsunami and flood then killed, according to various estimates, from 185 to 230 thousand people from 14 countries along the Indian Ocean coast. In terms of destructive power, the earthquake of that year ranks third in the entire history of observations.

In 2012, another major earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 occurred on the northern coast of Sumatra. The epicenter was in the Indian Ocean at a depth of 23 km. This case is interesting because it did not occur due to a collision or influx of tectonic plates onto each other, but as a result of the splitting of the Indo-Australian lithospheric plate into two.

How to find out about a volcanic eruption and tremors on the island of Bali?

Often tourists planning to visit Indonesia get current information from the media, which is not entirely true. In order to know how safe it is to visit this country at any given time, you need to use the Indonesian official service, which monitors volcanic and seismic activity.

In addition, complete and up-to-date information can be obtained from social networks and forums, where vacationers and people living there share photographs from the scene.

What to do if you find yourself in the epicenter of an earthquake?

During an earthquake, there are certain rules of conduct. First, if you feel tremors, try to turn on any source of information to understand how serious the threat is. Secondly, don’t panic; you need to distribute the responsibilities for collecting all the essentials among family members to save time. When evacuating, you need to take with you documents, money, valuables, a bottle of water, some food and things that can be used as protection (rags, gauze bandages, etc.). If you feel tremors, you must leave the building, and this should be done using the stairs, not the elevator. Once outside, you need to go out into open space as soon as possible - away from buildings and structures.

If you are forced to stay indoors, then, if possible, hide under a hard surface (table or bed) that will protect you from falling objects. Stay away from windows and closer to load-bearing walls. Do not use matches, candles or lighters, as... During an earthquake, a gas leak may occur.

At least 832 people were killed by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. At the same time, the country's authorities believe that the number of victims may increase in the near future, since communication with the city of Donggala, which was also hit by the elements, has not yet been established.

The death toll from the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Indonesia exceeded eight hundred. AFP reports this with reference to the National Office for Disaster Management (BNPB).

According to data as of Sunday morning, September 30, the number of victims reached at least 832, and more than 540 were injured. At the same time, rescue services were able to evacuate about 16 thousand people from the disaster zone.

There was no information about Russian citizens killed or injured as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia. Denis Tetyushin, attache of the Russian Embassy in Jakarta, said this.

Russian Head of State Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed their condolences to the families of the victims.

“The President noted that Russia shares the grief of the friendly Indonesian people, and asked to convey words of sympathy and support to the families and loved ones of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to everyone who suffered from the rampant disaster,” said a telegram of condolences published on the Kremlin website .

According to Indonesian Vice President Yusuf Kalli, in the coming days the number of victims of the tragedy may exceed a thousand, since communication with the city of Dongala has not yet been established. This settlement was closer to the epicenter of the tremors and was the first to be hit by the tsunami that followed the earthquake.

Let us remind you that on Friday, September 28, several earthquakes occurred near the coast of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The strongest of them reached a magnitude of 7.4. The tremors were felt 80 km north of the city of Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi province. At the same time, more than 170 aftershocks occurred later - repeated tremors of lower intensity. In total, more than 500 thousand people live in the disaster zone.

A few hours later, a strong tsunami hit Palu. The local population was not warned of its approach, as the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency was unable to detect the impending danger.

As BNPB representative Sutopo Nugroho said, the tsunami early warning system has not been fully operational for 6 years due to lack of sufficient funding. As he noted, Indonesia needs the most modern equipment.

At the same time, a large number of Palu residents were in the coastal area at that moment due to preparations for the festival dedicated to City Day.

Due to the disaster, buildings and roads were damaged, houses and infrastructure were destroyed, in particular one of the attractions of Palu - the 126-meter Ponulele Bridge with arches 20 m high. Power lines were also damaged, leaving the population without electricity.

In addition, local authorities closed Mutiara Airport for some time due to damage to the runway. We would like to add that a plane crash could have happened at the airport, but this was avoided thanks to the dispatch service employee. 21-year-old Antonio Gunawan Agung remained at his post until he was convinced of the safety of the passenger plane taking off from the airport at the time the disaster began. After this, the guy, trying to escape, jumped out of the collapsing command and control tower. Due to his injuries, he died in hospital.

In addition, it became known that over a hundred prisoners had escaped from a prison in Palu, who took advantage of the fact that a powerful wave had destroyed the wall of the penitentiary.

Let us add that on the morning of September 30, Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived in Palu. He plans to monitor the progress of rescue efforts and meet with the victims. The Indonesian leader has already visited the earthquake-damaged Balaroa National Park in Palu.

“The roads are destroyed, the airport is not ready for full operation, access to electricity is partial, fuel supplies are difficult. I hope people will be patient. We are working towards recovery together,” Joko Widodo said on Twitter.

The Indonesian authorities have allocated about $37 million to carry out the rescue operation and provide necessary assistance to the population. As Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said, these funds are aimed only at the stated goals and not at restoring infrastructure.

We emphasize that Indonesia is located in the zone of the so-called Pacific volcanic ring of fire, in which a large number of active volcanoes are located and earthquakes are often recorded.

The order to close Ngurah Rai International Airport on the island of Bali is in effect until at least the morning of November 29. The eruption has already forced the authorities to begin evacuating 100 thousand people, but tourists are still taking the potential danger quite calmly.

Was the eruption unexpected since so many tourists were stuck on the island?

Not really. Volcano Agung woke up at the end of August. In the 20s of September, its activity intensified so much that the authorities assigned the disaster the fourth, highest, level of danger and 96 thousand people.

Then the activity began to decline, people returned to their homes, but on November 21 there was a high, up to 700 m column of smoke above the crater. On November 25, the active phase of the eruption began.

About 40 thousand people have their homes at the foot of the volcano; in total, the island’s authorities announced the need to evacuate more than 100 thousand residents.

It is prohibited to approach the volcano within a distance of 8 km, and in some places this zone has been extended to 12 km.

A plume of smoke and ash from the eruption affected the area where Ngurah Rai International Airport is located, resulting in the closure of the airport and several hundred flights.

Could an eruption really be that dangerous?

Yes. According to the national Disaster Prevention Agency, current activity indicates a high probability of a powerful eruption.

The last powerful volcanic eruption occurred in 1963. Then, under lava flows and high-temperature volcanic gases, about one and a half thousand people died, tens of thousands lost their homes.

How many Russians are in Bali?

The embassy also informed that Indonesia has developed an application for mobile devices on Android - HelpmeBencanaAlam ("Help, Natural Disaster").

After registering in the application, you have access to a general chat with the participation of Indonesian emergency services, as well as the Center for Volcanology and Natural Disaster Monitoring. In the event of an eruption of the Agung volcano, an emergency alert will be sent to the phones of application users.

What should those who are just planning to fly to Bali do?

Tourists who have tickets to Bali in hand should decide for themselves whether to cancel the trip or still try to fly away on vacation.

In the first case, air carriers and hotels are ready to return money to Russian tourists, TASS executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) Maya Lomidze.

“Tourists have the opportunity to cancel trips - most tickets are regular. Carriers are currently returning money for tickets, and hotels are currently also returning money through their Russian partners,” she said.

So far, applications for cancellation of tours account for about 5% of the total number of tours sold for the coming dates, Lomidze noted.

For now, carriers are rescheduling flights from the Russian Federation to the island, which were supposed to take place in the coming days, to December 3 and 4, a representative of ATOR said.

However, not all airlines do this. Thus, according to ATOR, Singapore Airlines is offering two options for passengers who are scheduled to fly to Indonesia in the coming days. A tourist may decide to use the ticket at the risk of being delayed in Singapore until Bali airport is open. The second option is to return the tickets and return 100% of the money paid.

Victor Kudrevich

“No one can predict exactly when an eruption will occur. Now we can say that all measuring instruments show an increase in surface pressure,” said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Authority.

Good afternoon Vladimir. As for poisonous spiders, I’m not sure that they can get into the room. These mostly live in the jungle. If it crawls into your house, then I dare to assume that it is an ordinary spider or a wolf spider - they are non-poisonous and hunt for various insects. People are not touched.

A volcano is erupting in Bali now. All latest information as of September 23, 2018.

1963 eruption was one of the strongest eruptions in the last century. The activity of Mount Agung increased in February 1963, first with earthquakes that slowly pushed magma flows inside the volcano outward. In the second half of February and throughout March, the volcano smoked and scattered clouds of gas and volcanic ash around itself. A month later, March 27, began serious volcanic eruption. A second explosive eruption occurred in May of the same year.

There is an “alarm case” in case of earthquakes or eruptions. Collect such an “alarm suitcase” and store it in an easily accessible place; if possible, pack things in waterproof containers. What you need to pack in such a suitcase:

Due to the closure of the airport, 446 flights were canceled, including 207 international. It carried approximately 75 thousand passengers.

Bookings for flights from Moscow to the island of Bali, where the airport is closed due to a volcanic eruption, have decreased tenfold today. Volcano Agung has not ejected such a column of ash for half a century. And now, according to various sources, it rises to a height of four to eight kilometers.
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I caught a small earthquake in Jordan. At 4 in the morning the furniture in the room suddenly began to rattle (this was in Aqaba). I didn’t understand anything, I lay there for a long time and wondered what it could be. Even looked in into the closets to see if anyone is hiding there (ha ha!). It didn’t even occur to me about the earthquake; I only found out later. But it was very unpleasant and scary. It’s good that I didn’t realize that these were earthquakes, otherwise I would definitely have been very scared.

Let's hope that the eruption, if there is one, will not be very strong and destructive. I read everything carefully and looked at the cameras and maps. I wonder why it’s “putting pressure on my head,” I googled it and didn’t find anything. Maybe the movement of magma inside the volcano somehow changes the electromagnetic field in this place.
I wish everything ends well for local residents and tourists. Maybe the volcano will change its mind and calm down.

Volcano Agung is a dangerous volcano. The main difficulty with the Agung eruption begins with the fact that there is a high population of people living in the immediate vicinity of the volcano. There are about a million people within just 30 kilometers of the volcano. For example, the town of Kubu is located 15 kilometers from the volcano and has a population of approximately 53,000 permanent residents.

Volcanic eruption in Bali latest news. Last news.

Eduard Shalonosov: Unfortunately, the story is the same here. If there was fault on the part of the tour operator, the host party or the airline, these parties are obliged to pay compensation. Explain to the employer why the employee was not at work for several days. And when planes do not fly due to the closure of the airport, this is force majeure, force majeure circumstances.

in Bali there is a danger zone with a very unlikely tsunami - the southern coast and only the beaches, on the northern coast the threat is almost zero, on the coastal strip opposite the straits - it all depends on where the earthquake occurs - east or west of Bali. the probability of a destructive tsunami is almost minimal, live peacefully, bro.

Tsunamis arise for other reasons, the basis of which is the movement of tiktanic plates of the earth's crust, which lead to underwater earthquakes. The island of Bali is always at risk of a tsunami, as indicated by orange icons along the entire coast.

Masha, hi! Thanks a lot! Yes, we also have a lot of pressure on our heads. very felt. Agung in Bali is considered a "great mountain" with powerful force, the last eruption in 1963 was considered the most powerful on the planet at that time. I don’t know how Agung will behave now...

Hello natives! Tell me, please, how is the situation with Agung now? Didn't he become more active at the beginning of March? Otherwise, we are planning to come to visit you, but we came across an article with an unclear date about the increased activity of the volcano and even the suspension of flights. I’m not sure that the article is current, although the update date is 03/04/2018.

The volcano began its activity on September 21, 2017. Between September 21 and the end of October 2017, a series of volcanic earthquakes occurred on the island. On November 21, the eruption phase of Mount Agung began, characterized by volcanic ash reaching 700 m above the peak.

Volcanic eruption in Bali video. Fresh material as of 09.23.2018