Please Calm Down, The Earthquake In The Northeast Of Jayapura Has No Potential To Generate A Tsunami

JAYAPURA - An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 on Thursday at 19:44 WIT that occurred in the northeast of Jayapura Regency, Papua Province, did not have the potential to cause a tsunami, according to the Jayapura Geophysics Station.

The Coordinator of Data and Information for the Jayapura Geophysical Station, Sophisticated Sembiring, said the epicenter of the earthquake was at 2.04 South Latitude and 140.37 East Longitude, approximately 119 kilometers northeast of Jayapura Regency at a depth of 10 kilometers.

"The earthquake occurred at sea, not land," he said.

"People are expected not to panic because there is no potential for a tsunami," he said. According to Sophisticated, the tremors caused by the earthquake were felt on the MMI scale III in Jayapura and Sentani. On the MMI scale III the vibrations are felt inside the house, it feels as if a truck is passing.

The earthquake had caused a number of Jayapura residents to stop their activities and leave their homes.

"Everyone felt the earthquake was very big so they decided to leave the house," said Jendrik Krimadi, a resident of Jayapura.