On 11 October 2018, an earthquake struck off the coast of East Java, Indonesia, with the epicentre located off the coast of Situbondo Regency. The earthquake, which struck at dawn, killed four people in addition to destroying or damaging hundreds of houses, mostly on the small island of Sapudi.
According to Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the earthquake was felt in 22 regencies and cities in East Java province, including the provincial capital and Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya. No tsunami warnings were issued, and none occurred. Attendees of the 2018 International Monetary Fund Summit in Denpasar reported feeling the earthquake, but no damage occurred and the summit continued without significant disruption.
Casualties
The earthquake killed four people, and injured at least 26. As the earthquake struck around 2 am, many of the victims were asleep during the shaking and could not escape. Three of the deaths occurred in Prambanan village of Sapudi Island and were caused by falling roof shrapnel, while the fourth fatality was in Jember, where a 47-year-old man died after he slipped and hit his head when running out of his house during the earthquake.
Aftermath
Nearly 500 houses were reported to be damaged by the day following the earthquake in Sapudi Island alone, with lesser damage in other regencies. Cleanup operations, assisted by soldiers from Kodam V/Brawijaya, began soon after the earthquake. Social minister Agus Gumiwang visited Sapudi later in the day of the earthquake. Governor of East JavaSoekarwo also visited the island, and promised that the provincial government would incur the costs of repairing damaged houses, with the provincial administration allocating Rp 23.7 billion (US$1.6 million) for the purpose. The central government also provided benefits of Rp 15 million (~USD 1,000) for the relatives of the fatalities, in addition to smaller benefits from the local governments.