Indonesia’s Papua region: powerful earthquake causes severe damage

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck Indonesia’s easternmost region of Papua early Friday, shaking coastal communities and leaving scattered damage in its wake. Authorities reported that at least two homes and the main bridge in Nabire, a town in Central Papua province, collapsed during the tremor. Several other buildings, including a government office, a church, and the local airport, sustained minor damage. According to Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, the situation remained under control with no immediate reports of fatalities.

Residents fled their homes, and some moved to higher ground as the quake rattled the area, prompting brief panic. Telecommunication networks in Nabire and nearby towns were disrupted, making it difficult for officials to gather complete information in the hours following the incident, said agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari. Data from the U.S. Geological Survey indicated that the epicenter was about 28km south of Nabire at a shallow depth of 10km. Indonesia’s meteorological and geophysical agency confirmed that the tremor did not trigger a tsunami warning, as it originated inland.

This is not the first time Nabire has faced destructive quakes. In 2004, two separate earthquakes devastated the same region, killing dozens of residents and destroying hundreds of homes. The latest incident highlights Indonesia’s vulnerability to seismic activity, as the sprawling archipelago of more than 280 million people lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area well known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.