Magnitude 6.1 earthquake strikes Papua, Indonesia

An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck the region of Papua in Indonesia, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said Friday.

The quake struck about 262 km (163 miles) east-northeast of Biak in Indonesia, and was at a depth of 10 km, EMSC added.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the strong quake that struck Indonesia's Papua region Saturday morning was followed by a 5.8-magnitude aftershock minutes later.

Both quakes hit at a relatively shallow depth of 15 kilometres (9.3 miles), about 272 kilometres from the town of Abepura, according to the USGS.

No casualties or damages were immediately reported by authorities but the Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BKMG) warned of moderate shaking and light damage in a tweet.

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

A 6.2-magnitude quake that shook Sulawesi island in January 2021 killed more than 100 people and left thousands homeless, reducing buildings to a tangled mass of twisted metal and chunks of concrete in the seaside city of Mamuju.

AFP