6.3-magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia’s Papua region

Jakarta: A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's eastern Papua region on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). However, experts confirmed there is no tsunami threat following the quake.

The USGS reported that the earthquake occurred at 5:24 PM local time (0824 GMT). Its epicenter was located approximately 193 kilometers northwest of Abepura, a city in Papua.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also confirmed that there is no tsunami risk. So far, no casualties or damage have been reported.

Initially, the USGS had recorded the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.5, but later revised it down to 6.3.

Indonesia is an archipelagic nation situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a seismically active zone where tectonic plates frequently collide, making earthquakes and volcanic activity common.

In January 2021, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Sulawesi island, killing over 100 people and displacing thousands.

In 2018, the city of Palu on the same island was devastated by a 7.5-magnitude quake followed by a tsunami, killing more than 2,200 people.

The most catastrophic event occurred in 2004, when a 9.1-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami struck Aceh province, killing over 170,000 people in Indonesia alone.