Strong offshore earthquake strikes eastern Indonesia

The map of the epicenter of a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that jolted the Sarmi area, Papua, Indonesia, on December 31, 2023. (Source: ANTARA/HO-BMKG)

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on December 31 detected a 6.4-magnitude earthquake shaking the Sarmi area, northern Papua province, in early morning.

As reported by the country’s national news agency Antara, the quake was triggered by a thrust fault in the Anjak Mamberamo zone at a depth of 50 kilometers.

The BMKG did not issue a tsunami warning, and there have been no reports of damage caused by this earthquake.

Indonesia is frequently exposed to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. In January 2021, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake in the country’s West Sulawesi province resulted in 100 fatalities and nearly 6,500 injuries./.

VNA