Earthquake shakes part of Indonesia's Papua, no casualties reported

An earthquake shook Indonesia’s easternmost province Monday, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties.

The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.4 quake was centered 135 kilometers (83 miles) southwest of Abepura, a subdistrict in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province. It occurred at a depth of 13 kilometers (8 miles).

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami but warned of possible aftershocks. It measured a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 for the quake. Variations in early measurements of quakes are common.

With a population of just over 1 million, Papua is one of Indonesia’s least populous provinces.

In February, another shallow earthquake shook the province, killing four people who were unable to escape when a floating restaurant collapsed into the sea.

Indonesia is a seismically active archipelago of 270 million people that is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.

Last November, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake killed at least 602 people and injured more than 7,700 in West Java province. In January 2021, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake killed more than 100 people and injured nearly 6,500 in West Sulawesi province.

A powerful quake off the coast of Aceh in 2004 triggered a powerful tsunami that killed around 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

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