Strong earthquake hits Indonesia, injuring 62

An offshore earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck the east of Papua region in Indonesia, injuring at least 62 people, but no tsunami warning was issued.

An offshore earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck the east of Papua region in Indonesia, injuring at least 62 people, but no tsunami warning was issued.

 The quake hits the east of Papua region (Source: rappler.com)

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at 1:00 am on September 25 (local time), some 30 kilometers from the coastal city of Sorong in Papua and last two minutes. The quake’s epicenter is as deep as 10 kilometers undersea.

Spokesman for the National Board for Disaster Management Sutopo Purwo Nugroho reported that 17 out of the injured are in critical conditions and predicted a rise in casualties.

Over 200 houses were destroyed and damage could be higher, according to him.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activities.

A huge undersea quake in 2004 triggered a tsunami that engulfed Aceh province on western Sumatra island, killing more than 170,000 people in Indonesia and tens of thousands more in other countries with coasts on the Indian Ocean.