Moderate earthquake hits Indonesia's Papua province

A moderate earthquake rocked Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua today, sending panicked residents into the streets. There were no reports of damage or injuries.

The 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck at 12.28pm local time (4.28am Irish time) and was centred about 90 miles south of Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake was felt strongly in the town of Wamena in mountainous Jayawijaya district, 48 miles west of the epicentre, said Simon Rumi, an official at the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency in Jayapura.

“Some people ran out of their offices and houses,” said Kusnadin, a police officer in Wamena who uses only one name.

The quake also was felt in Jayapura and in Tanah Merah and Merauke on the southern coast of the island, Rumi said.

Jayapura is about 2,360 miles north-east of Jakarta and about 2,050 miles from Bantul, the area worst hit by a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake on Saturday that killed more than 5,400 people.