6.3-magnitude quake hits Papua in eastern Indonesia; no tsunami warning

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The epicentre of the quake was around 193km north-west of Jayapura, the provincial capital.

PHOTO: UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

JAKARTA – A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern Indonesian region of Papua on Aug 12, but a monitor said there was no tsunami threat.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck at around 5.24pm (4.24pm in Singapore),was around 193km north-west of Jayapura, the provincial capital and largest city in Papua, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The depth was measured at 10km.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no tsunami threat.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

USGS earlier gave a magnitude of 6.5 before revising it downward.

Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes due to its position on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through South-east Asia and across the Pacific basin where tectonic plates collide.

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake that shook Sulawesi in January 2021 killed more than 100 people and left thousands homeless.

In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi killed more than 2,200 people.

In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude quake struck Aceh province, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000 people in Indonesia. AFP