Phesi Ester Julikawati, Bengkulu – Hundreds of houses in Bengkulu were severely and lightly damaged in the wake of a strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the region early Friday, May 23, 2025, at 2:52 a.m. local time.
Bengkulu Governor Helmi Hasan reported no casualties thus far, but some were injured.
"Currently, around 100 houses have been severely damaged, with half of them suffering light damage. We are awaiting further reports," Helmi said when confirmed on Friday.
Helmi mentioned that the Bengkulu Provincial Government will rebuild the severely damaged houses, and repair the rest.
"Houses suffering heavy damage will be demolished and rebuilt. Light damages will be repaired. For now, we have provided financial aid to the victims whose houses were damaged by the earthquake," Helmi added.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Bengkulu Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Khristian, stated that the initial data on the damaged buildings consists of houses and business premises.
"As of now, the data only covers the city of Bengkulu, and we are still waiting for reports from surrounding regencies," Khristian said.
Damages from the quake in Bengkulu City spread across several areas, including the Betungan, Pintu Batu, and Bumi Ayu subdistricts. "The team is still working, while Governor Helmi Hasan continues to monitor several locations," he further added.
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked the southwest region of Bengkulu early Friday. The state's earthquake agency BMKG mentioned that the epicenter of the earthquake was located at coordinates 4.17 degrees South latitude and 102.17 degrees East longitude, 43 kilometers southwest of the city of Bengkulu, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Despite its strong tremor, the BMKG assured that the earthquake did not trigger tsunami threats.