TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Between Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2026, and Thursday morning Jakarta time (WIB), three distinct regions across the globe—Northern California, Venezuela, and Japan—were struck in succession by powerful earthquakes. The sudden spike in global tectonic activity occurred within a window of less than 12 hours.
Daryono, a member of the Indonesian Disaster Experts Association (IABI), explained that the source of each seismic event was independent and geographically remote. "Earthquake sources across the globe are numerous, so when they occur close together in time, it is just a coincidence. There is no propagation or triggering effect between them," he clarified on Thursday, June 25, 2026.
He noted that this consecutive series of events was driven by highly varied source mechanisms, ranging from shallow local fault lines in Northern California and Venezuela to subduction zone activity in Japan.
The global seismic sequence began in the United States, where a magnitude 5.6 earthquake rattled Northern California on Wednesday night at 22:10 Western Indonesian Time (WIB). The epicenter was located on land, 11 kilometers north of Redwood Valley, at a very shallow depth of 8.9 kilometers.
The tremor registered an estimated intensity of VI–VII on the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, generating strong vibrations that startled residents into fleeing their homes and causing minor structural damage to non-seismic-resistant buildings.
By Thursday morning, far more destructive tremors struck South America, as a powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit Venezuela at 05:05 WIB. Centered on land, 23 kilometers southeast of Yumare at a depth of 10 kilometers, this major quake was triggered by a strike-slip fault mechanism.
The impact of the Venezuelan quake, reaching intensity scales of VI–IX MMI, triggered widespread panic across several cities, including the capital, Caracas. The situation turned chaotic at Caracas International Airport, where passengers scrambled for safety and were forced to drop to the floor to seek shelter as chunks of the terminal's ceiling collapsed around them.
Just 25 minutes after the disaster in Venezuela, precisely at 05:30 WIB, northern Japan was struck by a powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake. Unlike the previous two quakes, the epicenter of the Japanese quake was located at sea, approximately 35 kilometers northeast of Kuji, at an intermediate depth of 51.7 kilometers.
Triggered by a thrust-fault mechanism resulting from subduction zone activity, the earthquake caused shaking that reached an intensity of VI MMI, making it difficult for residents to stand upright and knocking over household items, though its depth fortunately prevented a tsunami from forming.
A Warning for Indonesia
Daryono warned that this string of global disasters should serve as a wake-up call for Indonesia, which sits directly on the volatile Pacific Ring of Fire. This series of events serves as a reminder that earthquakes themselves do not claim lives, but rather the collapse of poorly constructed buildings poses the primary threat.
"Therefore, upgrading earthquake-resistant structural standards for public facilities and residential housing must be enforced without question," he emphasized.
"The public must also continuously improve personal preparedness and knowledge of how to survive during an earthquake, from understanding the technique of taking cover under sturdy furniture when shaking begins, to avoiding stampedes at public exits, and ensuring emergency survival bags are packed at home," he added.
Read: Venezuela Hit by Two Powerful Earthquakes; Tsunami Alert Issued
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