Vibrant, Vibrating Start to the Year of the Dog

(2/16/2018)

At 10;37 am on Friday, February 16, 2018, devotees gathered to offer Chinese New Year prayers at the Kongco Chinese Temple at the top of Tanjung Benoa in Bali were startled by the shaking of an earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter Scale with an epicenter in the sea to the Island’s south.

Beritabali.com reports that worshippers at the temple did not panic and flee from the seaside Chinese temple, but, in fact, expressed thanks that the rains that almost invariably mark the celebration of “Imlek” or Chinese New Year were absent this year. Many said the earthquake should be seen as a positive omen and good grace for the coming year.

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The chief of the Meteorology, Climate and Geophysics in Denpasar (MKG Wilayah III), Taufik Gunawan, confirmed the strength of the offshore quake at 4.4 SR. Adding the epicenter was located at 9 degrees 14 minutes South Latitudes and 115 degrees 42 minutes West Longitude in the Indian ocean, some 47 kilometers southwest of Klunkung at a depth of 55 kilometers.”

The shake map for the earthquake showed the event was felt in Nusa Dua, Denpasar, and Kuta.

Because of the relatively low intensity of the earthquake, no property damage or injuries were reported in connection with the Chinese New Year’s earthquake that emanated from shifting of the Indo-Australian plate against the opposing Eurasian plate. There was no threat of a tsunami from the moderate seismic event.