7.2M Earthquake Rocks Papua New Guinea, Shocks Papua Residents

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An earthquake with seismic energy of 7.2 magnitudes rocked a neighboring country, Papua New Guinea, in the early hours of Monday, April 3, at 01:04 western Indonesian time (WIB). According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), its epicenter was detected at 4.44 degrees South Latitude and 143.05 degrees East Longitude, or 115 kilometers southwest of Wewak at a depth of 93 kilometers.

The quake caused an impact and was felt in the Keerom area, Jayapura City, Jayapura Regency, and Wamena with an intensity scale of III MMI. The III MMI scale means that the tremor was in the mild category albeit felt quite noticeably by people indoors as if a truck is passing.

In the Nabire area, Merauke, the shaking was at an intensity scale of II-III MMI. In a quake of this size, vibrations are felt by several people, and hanging light objects might sway.

“Until now, there is no report of damage or casualties caused by the quake with a sliding (strike-slip) mechanism,” the agency’s head of the quake and tsunami center, Daryono, said via text message on April 3.

The BMKG’s social media account was flocked by residents who claimed to have felt the shaking. They mentioned the affected locations, including Keerom, Sentani, and Wamena.

Some residents said the earthquake's tremor lasted for a quite long time. Some were also awakened as the tremor startled them who would have their suhoor (pre-dawn meal prior to fasting). “It's also felt in Sentani when I want to have my suhoor, the shaking lasts for a quite long time,” wrote an account dian_syiffa22.

MARIA FRANSISCA LAHUR

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