A 6.5 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Papua, Indonesia Without Tsunami Warning

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Papua region in eastern Indonesia on Tuesday, August 12, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Official sources confirmed that there is no threat of a tsunami resulting from this earthquake.

The agency reported that the earthquake's epicenter, which occurred at 5:24 PM local time (8:24 AM GMT), was located 193 kilometers northwest of the town of Abepura in Papua province. The "Pacific Tsunami Warning Center" confirmed that there is no threat of tidal waves (tsunami). So far, there have been no reports of injuries or material damage.

Indonesia is one of the most earthquake-prone countries due to its location on the "Ring of Fire" in the Pacific Ocean, where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic activity. This ring extends from Japan through Southeast Asia to the Pacific basin.

It is worth noting that Indonesia has previously experienced devastating earthquakes, including a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Sulawesi in January 2021, resulting in over 100 deaths and displacing thousands. A 7.5 magnitude earthquake, followed by a tsunami, in Palu, Sulawesi in 2018 resulted in more than 2,200 deaths. In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake in Aceh triggered a tsunami that claimed the lives of more than 170,000 people in Indonesia alone.