Indonesia: A magnitude-5.4 earthquake occurs in central Papua Province at around 17:31 May 21

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake occurred in central Papua Province at around 17:31 May 21. The epicenter was about 261 km (162 miles) east-southeast of Biak. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 31 km (19 miles), and moderate shaking was probably felt in areas close to the epicenter, as well as light shaking throughout much of Papua Province and parts of northwestern Central Papua and western Highland Papua provinces. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light-to-moderate 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.