2009 Papua earthquakes

2009 Papua earthquake
Date January 3, 2009 at 19:43:54 UTC [1]
Magnitude 7.6 Mw [1]
Depth 30 km (19 mi) [1]
Epicenter 0°30′S 132°44′E / .5°S 132.74°E / -.5; 132.74Coordinates: 0°30′S 132°44′E / .5°S 132.74°E / -.5; 132.74 [1]
Type Thrust [2]
Areas affected Indonesia
Max. intensity 19:43 – VI (Strong) [3]
22:33 – VIII (Severe) [4]
Tsunami 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) [2]
Aftershocks 7.4 Mw January 3 at 22:33 [4]
Casualties 4 dead, dozens injured

The 2009 Papua earthquakes occurred on January 4 local time in Indonesia's West Papua province. The very large earthquake doublet comprised a magnitude 7.6 initial shock that had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong) and a second very large event that had a moment magnitude of 7.4 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). 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.

An official of World Vision International, a humanitarian aid organization, said ten buildings had been totally 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. 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.[5][6][7]

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