The 2009 West Papua earthquakes occurred on January 4 local time in Indonesia's Tambrauw Regency in Southwest Papua (then West Papua Province). The very large earthquake doublet comprised a Mw 7.6 initial shock that had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong) and a second event measuring Mw 7.4 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong). The events took place less than three hours apart to the east-northeast of Sorong on the Bird's Head Peninsula and left at least four people dead and dozens injured.
Earthquake
There have been twenty-three aftershocks above magnitude 5.0 and another at magnitude 6.0. The earthquakes were also felt in nearby Papua New Guinea and Darwin, Australia.
Impact
An official of World Vision International, a humanitarian aid organization, said ten buildings had been destroyed, including several hotels and the house of a government official. Officials said three people, who had been staying at the Mutiara hotel in the city of Manokwari, were pulled alive from the rubble and taken to a hospital. Two hotels collapsed in the quake.
See also
- List of earthquakes in 2009
- List of earthquakes in Indonesia
References
External links
- ANSS, "M7.7 – near the north coast of Papua, Indonesia", Comprehensive Catalog, U.S. Geological Survey
- ANSS, "M7.4 – near the north coast of Papua, Indonesia", Comprehensive Catalog, U.S. Geological Survey
- International Seismological Centre, ISC-EHB Bulletin, Thatcham, United Kingdom
- International Seismological Centre, ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue, Thatcham, United Kingdom
- Poiata, N.; Koketsu, K.; Miyake, H. (2010), "Source processes of the 2009 Irian Jaya, Indonesia, earthquake doublet" (PDF), Earth, Planets and Space, 62 (5): 475, Bibcode:2010EP&S...62..475P, doi:10.5047/eps.2010.02.008
- Earthquake in Papua, Indonesia – NASA Earth Observatory
- The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.
