Tsunami warning issued after powerful earthquake hits eastern Indonesia

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JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) — A powerful earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Wednesday morning, minutes after another earthquake, seismologist said. A tsunami warning has been issued.

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake at 12.16 p.m. local time (0316 GMT) was centered about 123 kilometers (76.4 miles) from Biak, a small island located near the northern coast of Papua province. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.


Just minutes earlier, at 12.06 p.m. local time (0306 GMT), a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck only several kilometers/miles from the epicenter of the first earthquake. That earthquake also struck 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep.

Indonesia’s seismological agency immediately issued a tsunami warning for nearby coasts after the powerful earthquake.

The United States Geological Survey measured the first earthquake at 6.4, while the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center measured the strength of the second earthquakes at 7.4 on the Richter scale.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the earthquake.

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