Four people died in a 5.5 magnitude earthquake in Papua, Indonesia

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10:44:25, 15/02/2023 At least 4 people were killed, many buildings were damaged by a 5.5-magnitude earthquake that struck the north coast of Papua, Indonesia.

A damaged house after an earthquake in Jayapura, Papua province, February 9.

The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said the quake struck at 13:28 on February 9 (local time, or 6:28 GMT), southwest of the city of Jayapura. The epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of 10 km.
"A cafe collapsed and four people died there. The cafe fell into the sea," Asep Khalid, head of the Jayapura City Disaster Mitigation Agency, said in a press release.
According to residents in Jayapura, they were trying to escape from houses and shops when the quake struck. Photos on social media showed damaged buildings in the area, with one building flooded up to the roof.
The local meteorological agency has issued a warning about the possibility of aftershocks.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) recorded the quake with a magnitude of 5.5.
Indonesia regularly suffers from seismic activity and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", where the Earth's tectonic plates collide.
According to BMKG, the February 9 quake was one of more than 1,000 earthquakes recorded in the area since January this year.
"Since January 2, 2023, 1,079 earthquakes have occurred around Jayapura, with about 132 being felt by people," BMKG Director Dwikorita Karnawati said.