A powerful earthquake hit the eastern Indonesian province of Papua on Thursday afternoon, but no tsunami warning was triggered, and there were no reported damages or casualties.
The earthquake, as recorded by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), was at magnitude 6.5.
Major Seismic Facts
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The earthquake hit around 2:48 pm local time (0548 GMT). Major measurements indicated by global and domestic agencies are:
USGS Data: The epicenter was at approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) from provincial capital city, Jayapura, at a depth of 35 kilometers.
BMKG Data: Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) measured a lesser magnitude at 6.4, at a depth of 16 kilometers.
Tsunami Risk Eliminated
Importantly, the threat of a mass tsunami has been eliminated.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center assured that there was no danger of a tsunami from the quake. BMKG earthquake and tsunami director Daryono added that no aftershocks have been recorded right after the main quake.
The disaster is a reminder of Indonesia’s position along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a belt of high volcanic and seismic activity in which tectonic plates regularly crash together. Papua province lies on the western part of the great island shared with the country of Papua New Guinea.
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