A 5-magnitude earthquake caused by Tarera-Aiduna fault activity shook the east coast of Kaimana, West Papua, at 4:32 p.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB) or 6:32 p.m. local time in West Papua.

The earthquake was centered at 3.77 degrees south latitude and 133.50 degrees east longitude, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) informed here on Tuesday.

The earthquake was located 10 km undersea and 8 km east of Buruway, Kaimana, West Papua, head of the BMKG’s Earthquake and Tsunami Center, Daryono, said.

Based on the epicenter and the hypocenter, the earthquake was a shallow one and had a strike-slip mechanism, he added.

He said that the earthquake was felt in the Kaimana area at a Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) of II-III, meaning the tremors were felt indoors and were similar to those produced by a truck passing close by.

As of 4:55 p.m. WIB, the results of BMKG monitoring recorded one aftershock measuring 3.5 in magnitude, he informed.

“The modeling results show that this earthquake did not potentially cause a tsunami,” he said.

BMKG appealed to the public to remain calm and not pay heed to unreliable information on earthquakes or other natural disasters. In addition, people were advised to avoid entering buildings that were cracked or damaged in the quake.

“Before returning home, check and make sure your house is earthquake resistant or there is no damage from earthquake tremors that could endanger the building’s stability,” he said.

On August 2, 2021, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake was recorded 94 km south of Kaimana city, West Papua, due to rock deformation in the Graben-Aru active fault.

Based on its epicenter and the hypocenter, the earthquake was an intermediate one and did not have the potential to cause a tsunami, BMKG reported.

On Monday (January 2), a 4.9-magnitude earthquake in Jayapura, Papua, caused damage to some structures in the region..

Source: Antara News