Jakarta – A 7.0-magnitude earthquake has hit in the Papua province in Indonesia. Initial reports of casualties or damage are show little major damage or deaths as a result of the earthquake according to government officials. The initial 7.0 Earthquake has been followed by several 4.0 aftershocks.

The earthquake struck at 1:42pm (0442 GMT). The epicentre was 56 kilometres northeast of the Tolikara region. The US Geological Survey said it took place at a depth of 75 kilometres, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said that “a destructive tsunami was not generated”.

7.0 Earthquake Shakes Indonesia

The USGS says, “There have been 22 M7.5+ earthquakes recorded in the New Guinea region since 1900. The dominant earthquake mechanisms are thrust and strike slip, associated with the arc-continent collision and the relative motions between numerous local microplates. The largest earthquake in the region was a M8.2 shallow thrust fault event in the northern Papua province of Indonesia that killed 166 people in 1996.

“The western portion of the northern Australia plate boundary extends approximately 4800 km from New Guinea to Sumatra and primarily separates Australia from the Eurasia plate, including the Sunda block. This portion is dominantly convergent and includes subduction at the Sunda (Java) trench, and a young arc-continent collision”.

The Indonesian Government Disaster Mitigation Agency is reporting, “The epicenter was located in the district of TAYESE; been no reports of casualties and damage, (2) City as the capital district KARUBAGA Tolikara; community feeling earthquake, but there were no casualties and damage. Houses most of the half wall and half boa

The spokesman, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, shared that the largest quakes recorded in Tolikara were of 8.1 magnitude in 1971 and 7.9 magnitude in 1926.

The Indonesian archipelago is located in the region called the Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean.