A 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s West Papua region on Friday. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported the event and indicated that the quake’s epicenter was situated 10 kilometers beneath the surface. Because of the shallow depth, such earthquakes can often be more destructive because the shaking is more intense at the surface.
Local authorities have initiated rescue and relief efforts, deploying teams to the affected areas. Authorities have also warned of potential aftershocks. Damage assessments are ongoing to understand the impact on the local infrastructure and the population. The tremors were powerful enough to cause widespread panic in some regions.