A magnitude-7.0 earthquake hit eastern Indonesia at 5:41am Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey. The quake was centred at 230km west of Abepura in Papua Province with a depth of 48km.
The Indonesian Agency for Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysics measured the quake at 7.2 magnitude. Authorities have not issued a tsunami warning. There were no immediate reports of fatalities or damages.
According to Indonesian media Metro TV’s news website, the quake “caused public panic and people scrambled out of the house.”
Communication with affected villages broke down, hindering the efforts of officials who are still trying to assess the impact of the quake, the website cited a spokesman for the National Board For Disaster Management as saying.
