Strong and shallow M6.1 earthquake hits near the coast of Papua, Indonesia
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by EMSC as M6.1 hit near the coast of Papua, Indonesia at 05:01 UTC on August 2, 2021. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). USGS is reporting it as M5.9 at a depth of 12.9 km (8 miles).
The epicenter was located about 185 km (115 miles) NE of Tual, Maluku and 212 km (132 miles) SW of Nabire, Papua, Indonesia.
There are about 22 000 people living within 100 km (62 miles).
49 000 people are estimated to have felt light shaking.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick with concrete floor and precast concrete frame with wall construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides, fires, and liquefaction that might have contributed to losses.
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
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Regional seismicity
Featured image credit: TW/SAM, Google
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