Indonesia: 6.1-magnitude earthquake rocks Papua

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit Papua, in eastern Indonesia, on Monday, US seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake hit about 240 kilometres west of the town of Abepura in Papua province at 10:05 am local time, at a depth of 21 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey.

There were no immediate reports of casualties after the earthquake.

A shallower 6.3-magnitude hit the area last week, but the damage was not extensive.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide.

Last year, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island killed more than 2,200 with a thousand more declared missing.

On December 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck Aceh province, causing a tsunami and killing more than 170,000.