Timor Leste Rocked by M 6.1 Earthquake, Tsunami Warning Issued

TRIBUNBATAM.id - An earthquake measuring 6.1 magnitude rocked off the coast of Timor Leste on Friday (5/27) and could potentially trigger a tsunami.

A tsunami advisory group, the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWMS), said the quake "may be capable of generating a tsunami affecting the Indian Ocean".

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck at a depth of 51.4 kilometers (32 miles) from the eastern tip of Timor Island, which is divided between Timor Leste and Indonesia.

IOTWMS issues a tsunami warning for the region.

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Quoted by AFP, Timor Leste is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", causing the region to experience frequent earthquakes. 

Timor Leste has a population of 1.3 million people and is the youngest country in Southeast Asia.

Recently, the territory that was once part of Indonesia celebrated the 20th anniversary of independence.

The former Portuguese colony became independent from Indonesia in 2002 after 24 years of unity.

Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, a 72-year-old revolutionary hero, became the new president after winning general elections earlier this month. 

Ramos-Horta is also the second prime minister of Timor Leste after independence from Indonesia.

The mostly rural nation's economy has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the World Bank saying 42 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

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Shortly before the earthquake in Timor Leste occurred, an earthquake measuring M 6.5 shook Alor, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

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(TRIBUNBATAM.id/ Lia Sisvita Dinatri)