Indonesia: Damage and casualties reported following magnitude-5.1 earthquake near Jayapura, Papua Province, Feb. 9 /update 2

Event

Authorities in Jayapura, Papua Province, have reported at least one fatality and five other people have been injured following a magnitude-5.1 earthquake which occured about 21 km (13 milles) west-southwest of the city at around 15:28 Feb. 9. The fatality occured when a restuarant in the Ruko area of Jayapura collpased and damage assesments are being carried out on several other buildings in the city. The quake also reportedly triggered a fire at Hamadi Market in Jayapura.

The tremor occurred at a depth of about 21 km (13 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of eastern Papua and northeastern Highland Papua provinces in Indonesia and northern and central Sandaun Province in Papua New Guinea. The earthquake was the latest in a series of earthquakes that have stricuk the region since early Jan. and was preceeded by a magnitude-5.0 earthquake at around 20:35 Feb. 8. Disruptions including road closures are likely in affected areas over the coming hours and days as response and recovery operations are carrried out.

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.

Advice

Out of an abundance of caution, consider vacating multistory buildings where shaking occurred until authorities confirm their structural integrity. Monitor and plan for aftershocks.