Epicenter of the earthquake that occurred at 1:17 a.m. local time on Wednesday was located some 30 kilometers (km) away from southeast of Waropen District, at a depth of 74 km.
The earthquake did not trigger a tsunami, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
Strong earthquakes have repeatedly jolted certain parts of Papua over the past decade. On January 18, 2020, a 6.0-magnitude tectonic earthquake rattled the districts of Jayapura and Sarmi in this eastern Indonesian province.
One of the deadly earthquakes jolting Papua occurred in Serui of Yapen Island and other coastal areas in which several local residents lost their lives and numerous houses were damaged.
Earthquakes regularly strike various parts of Indonesia since the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.
One of the deadliest earthquakes rattling eastern Indonesia occurred in several areas of Central Sulawesi Province on September 28, 2018.
The 7.4-magnitude earthquake followed by a tsunami that hit the areas of Palu City and the districts of Donggala, Paringi Moutong, and Sigi on Sept 28, 2018, claimed 2,102 lives, injured 4,612, and rendered 680 others missing.
A total of 68,451 homes were seriously damaged, while 78,994 people were displaced.
The authorities and humanitarian workers decided to bury the large number of rotting corpses in mass graves.
Meanwhile, material losses inflicted by the twin deadly disasters were estimated to reach Rp15.29 trillion.
The provincial capital of Palu bore the brunt of the disaster, with material damage and losses recorded at Rp7.6 trillion, or 50 percent of the total estimate, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
The material damage and losses in Sigi District were recorded at Rp4.9 trillion, or 32.1 percent; Donggala District, at Rp2.1 trillion, or 13.8 percent; and Parigi Moutong District, at Rp631 billion, or 4.1 percent.
The material damage in the four affected areas reached an estimated Rp13.27 trillion, while the material losses were reportedly around Rp2.02 trillion, the agency revealed in October 2018.
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Rangga PAJ, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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