Strong quake strikes off Indo Papua

  • 28/07/2015
(File)
(File)

A powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake has struck the Indonesian province of Papua, US geologists say.

The quake struck at 6:41 am (local time), almost 250 kilometres west of the provincial capital Jayapura, the US Geological Survey said.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of any tsunami waves from the quake, which occurred inland underneath the Irian Jaya jungle.

The Earthquake-Report monitoring website said the area has "steep mountain ranges and its vegetation is rainforest, which means that the chance on dangerous landslides is real".

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

AFP