At least four people have been killed and buildings damaged by an earthquake of magnitude 5.4 which struck the north coast of Papua, Indonesia, toppling a waterfront cafe and trapping people inside, officials said.
The earthquake hit at 1.28pm local time (06:28 GMT) on Thursday, southwest of Jayapura city at a depth of 10km, Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) said.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) recorded the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.5.
Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide.
Thursday’s earthquake was one of more than a thousand recorded in the area since January this year, according to BMKG.
“Since Jan 2, 2023, there have been 1,079 quakes around Jayapura, with about 132 felt by its residents,” said BMKG chief, Dwikorita Karnawati.