Earthquake Of Magnitude 6.5 Strikes Off Indonesia; Shallow Depth Sparks Tsunami Risk | World News
A powerful earthquake struck Indonesia’s eastern province of Papua on Thursday afternoon, but no tsunami warning was issued and no damage or casualties were reported.
The magnitude of the earthquake recorded by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) was 6.5 magnitude.
Major Seismic Facts
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The earthquake occurred around 14.48 local time (0548 GMT). The key metrics cited by global and local organizations are:
USGS Data: The epicenter was about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the state capital Jayapura and at a depth of 35 kilometers.
BMKG Data: Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) measured a lower magnitude of 6.4 at a depth of 16 kilometers.
Tsunami Risk Eliminated
More 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 due to the earthquake. BMKG earthquake and tsunami manager Daryono added that no aftershocks were recorded immediately after the main earthquake.
The disaster is a reminder of Indonesia’s location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a zone of high volcanic and seismic activity where tectonic plates regularly crash into each other. The province of Papua is located in the western part of the large island shared with the country of Papua New Guinea.
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