Indonesia: Magnitude-5.1 offshore earthquake occurs in Central Papua Province at 09:19 March 21

A magnitude-5.1 earthquake occurred in Central Papua Province at around 09:19 March 21. The epicenter was about 179 km (111 miles) east-southeast of Biak, Papua Province. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 3 km (2 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of Central Papua, far western South Papua, far western Highland Papua, and southwestern Papua provinces. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.