Earthquake today: 6.5 magnitude quake jolts Indonesia's Papua
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit Papua, Indonesia, on Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake, occurring at 2:48 pm local time, had no tsunami warning or immediate damage reports and was located 200 km from Jayapura at a depth of 35 km.
A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 struck Indonesia’s eastern Papua province on Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake occurred at approximately 2:48 p.m. local time (0548 GMT), with its epicenter located about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Jayapura at a depth of 35 kilometers, AFP reported.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii confirmed shortly after the tremor that there was no tsunami threat to the region, and there were no immediate reports of damage.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.4, occurring at a depth of 16 kilometres.
Daryono, the agency’s earthquake and tsunami director who uses a single name, stated that no aftershocks had been detected so far.
Indonesia, an expansive island nation, is highly prone to earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific "Ring of Fire" — a zone of intense seismic activity caused by the movement and collision of tectonic plates. This geological belt extends from Japan through Southeast Asia and around the Pacific Ocean.
The Indonesian province of Papua is located on the western half of the large island it shares with Papua New Guinea.
Earlier quake
A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit near Lae, Papua New Guinea’s second-largest city, on October 7, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake caused panic among mourners gathered in a stadium, though no immediate damage was reported.
The epicenter was located 26 kilometers (16 miles) from Lae, a city of over 76,000 people, and tremors were also felt in the capital, Port Moresby, as shown on social media.
Papua New Guinea government official Malum Nalu said that the "very violent" earthquake hit at around 9 pm, while he was at Lae's stadium with hundreds of others attending a ceremony honoring the late governor of Morobe province. He said the quake struck just as soldiers were carrying Luther Wenge’s casket to be taken to a funeral home.
Nalu informed Reuters, “There was a big rumbling noise like a plane flying overhead, then the building was shaking violently for around three minutes. The venue was filled to capacity, with hundreds of people inside. As the quake hit, people rushed toward the exits, and the deputy prime minister urged everyone to stay calm."
(With inputs from agencies)