Indonesia: Magnitude-5.3 earthquake occurs in Highland Papua Province at around 16:06 March 1

A magnitude-5.3 earthquake occurred in Highland Papua Province at around 16:06 March 1. The epicenter was about 178 km (111 miles) east-northeast of Agats, South Papua Province, Indonesia. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 35 km (22 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of Highland Papua, central and western Papua, and northern South Papua provinces in Indonesia and western Sanduan, western East Sepik, and northwestern Western Provinces in Papua New Guinea. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties; however, 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.