Massive earthquake below inner Irian Jaya, Indonesia - 3 killed by landslides + a lot of damage

Created April 6, 2013 Last update April 14, 2013 17:18 By

Update April 14
- A little late for this report but the damage was far bigger than initially expected. It took also quite some time to reach the epicenter area. Authorities finally could assess the region by helicopter.
- Thousands of residents in 3 inland districts had experienced food shortages
- A lot of farming fields have been destroyed by landslides
- Relief services hope that the provincial government can provide assistance in the form of food, clean water, and medicines.
- The disaster site is located at 2,700 meters above sea level and is blamed as the main reason for the slow distribution of aid to disaster
- The fatalities all occurred in the Tolikara area
Papua New Guinea consists mostly of thick rain forest and landslides are a common killing trigger in places where forests have been destroyed to obtain farming ground.

Update - 3 people were killed by landslides. Details will come to light over the next few days.

Update - There has been a minor aftershock of M5.2 in the last few minutes. There is no damage expected. Good news also from this earthquake - in the Karubaga Tolikara city, which was near the epicenter (50km away) there have been no casualties and also no damage - this is confirmed and not just a statement like most newspapers!.

Fatalities from 1900-2012 from earthquakes (CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database v5.18)

Fatalities from 1900-2012 from earthquakes (CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database v5.18)

Update - Landslides caused by the shaking are of course a main concern from such an earthquake rather than direct shaking fatalities. It can be seen that more than 1 in every 10 earthquake victims have been from landslides since 1900. The wetness of the ground, slope and vegetation play a major role also in whether landslides occur.

Update - Timber production and mines are the general central Papua industries, thus these will likely be unaffected by VI shaking. Most of the population lives on the coast with traditional groups living in the center.

Update - The depth of this earthquake should help matters a lot.´The BMKG has come with a M7.2 earthquake at 173km. Buildings here are generally built from natural materials and can withstand very large earthquakes. The shaking has been described as "light" from people there so we hope for the best. Panic occurred in a few regions, however no tsunami will occur due to the depth and location.

Massive earthquake at an intermediate depth with an epicenter in the heart of the Indonesian part of Papua New Guinea. Even at this intermediate depth we expect very strong shaking.
Only small tribam settlements can be found in the inner part of Papua as Irian Jaya is also called.

Screen Shot 2013-04-06 at 7.23.17 AM

237km (147mi) E of Enarotali, Indonesia
256km (159mi) WSW of Abepura, Indonesia
272km (169mi) WSW of Jayapura, Indonesia
330km (205mi) E of Nabire, Indonesia

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 7

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-04-06 13:42:32

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-04-06 04:42:32

Depth (Hypocenter) : 53 km

Depth and Magnitude updates in the list below.

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Refresh this list
SRC Location UTC Date/time M D INFO
USGS Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 12:06 4.5 69 MAP
EMSC Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 12:06 4.5 70 MAP I Felt It INFO
EMSC Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 10:04 4.7 78 MAP
USGS Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 10:04 4.7 86 MAP I Felt It INFO
GEOFON Irian Jaya, Indonesia Apr 06 10:04 4.7 68 MAP I Felt It INFO
USGS Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 07:50 5.2 71 MAP
GEOFON Irian Jaya, Indonesia Apr 06 07:50 5.0 71 MAP
EMSC Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 07:50 5.2 65 MAP I Felt It INFO
USGS Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 06:20 4.6 68 MAP
EMSC Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 06:20 4.7 67 MAP
GEOFON Irian Jaya, Indonesia Apr 06 06:20 4.8 66 MAP
EMSC Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 05:57 4.1 71 MAP
USGS Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 05:57 4.1 70 MAP I Felt It INFO
PTWC Papua Indonesia Apr 06 04:49 7.2 85 MAP
  • Tamworth - 3 ripples, most people got up, out of their beds. wondering about the tremors.
    		•
    WCATWC Irian Jaya Indonesia Apr 06 04:43 7.2 57 MAP
    EMSC Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 04:42 7.0 60 MAP
    USGS Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 04:42 7.2 58 MAP
    USGS Papua, Indonesia Apr 06 04:42 7.0 68 MAP
    GEOFON Irian Jaya, Indonesia Apr 06 04:42 7.0 53 MAP I Felt It INFO
  • Timika, Papua - Three moments of light shaking lasting a total of about one minute
  • southern highlands PNG - about 2.30pm soft rolling motion for at least 30 seconds. felt by all people in office also noticed by staff on site...dizzy feeling.
  • Nhulunbuy - Light shaking of the ground
  • MORO-PAPUA - estamos ubicados en el sitio llamado MORO cerda de su aeropuerto y el movimiento fue tremendamente fuerte, tuvo como duracion un minuto, todo en la oficina se movia al igual que los contenedores con materiales, fue sumamente fuerte!!
  • Sentani, Papua - mild shaking in our home. no rattling of windows or things falling off shelves.
  • Wamena - The quake lasted for over one minute. It felt mostly like smooth waves going across us underground. Some things fell off walls and shelves and in the city some buildings had minor damage, such as windows coming loose. Nobody was inured or killed.
  • Wamena, Papua, Indonesia - Strong shaking building for about 10 seconds and prolonged shaking at that level for almost a minute total. small items fell off shelves and dishes rattling in cupboards, power poles and trees whipping back and forth outside
    		•

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    Latitude (area) where you felt the earthquake
    Longitude (area) where you felt the earthquake
    Shaking Strength *
    MMI II (Very weak shaking) ?
    People :
    Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favorably placed.
    MMI III (Weak shaking) ?
    People :
    Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks, duration may be estimated, may not be recognized as an earthquake.
    MMI IV (Light shaking) ?
    People :
    Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building.
    Fittings :
    Doors and windows rattle. Glassware and crockery rattle. Liquids in open vessels may be slightly disturbed. Standing motorcars may rock.
    Structures :
    Walls and frames of buildings, and partitions and suspended ceilings in commercial buildings, may be heard to creak.
    MMI V (Moderate shaking) ?
    People :
    Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed.
    Fittings :
    Small unstable objects are displaced or upset. Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Hanging pictures knock against the wall. Open doors may swing. Cupboard doors secured by magnetic catches may open. Pendulum clocks stop, start, or change rate.
    Structures :
    Some large display windows cracked. A few earthenware toilet fixtures cracked.
    MMI VI (Strong shaking) ?
    People Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Difficulty experienced in walking steadily.
    Fittings :
    Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall from walls. Some furniture moved on smooth floors, some unsecured free-standing fireplaces moved. Glassware and crockery broken. Very unstable furniture overturned. Small church and school bells ring. Appliances move on bench or table tops. Filing cabinets or "easy glide" drawers may open (or shut).
    Structures :
    Slight damage to buildings with low standard. Some stucco or cement plaster falls. Large display windows broken. Damage to a few weak domestic chimneys, some may fall.
    Environment :
    Trees and bushes shake, or are heard to rustle. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground, e.g. existing slides, talus slopes, shingle slides.
    MMI VII (Very strong shaking) ?
    People
    General alarm. Difficulty experienced in standing. Noticed by motorcar drivers who may stop.
    Fittings :
    Large bells ring. Furniture moves on smooth floors, may move on carpeted floors. Substantial damage to fragile contents of buildings.
    Structures :
    Unreinforced stone and brick walls cracked. Low standard buildings cracked with some minor masonry falls. A few instances of damage to buildings of ordinary workmanship. Unbraced parapets, unbraced brick gables, and architectural ornaments fall. Roofing tiles, especially ridge tiles may be dislodged. Many unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, often falling from roof-line. Water tanks Type I burst. A few instances of damage to brick veneers and plaster or cement-based linings. Unrestrained water cylinders (hot-water cylinders) may move and leak. Some common windows cracked. Suspended ceilings damaged.
    Environment :
    Water made turbid by stirred up mud. Small slides such as falls of sand and gravel banks, and small rock-falls from steep slopes and cuttings. Instances of settlement of unconsolidated or wet, or weak soils. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances of liquefaction (i.e. small water and sand ejections).
    MMI VIII (Severe shaking) ?
    People Alarm may approach panic. Steering of motorcars greatly affected. Structures : Low standard buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. ordinary workmanship buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged in some cases. A few instances of damage to buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes. Monuments and pre-1976 elevated tanks and factory stacks twisted or brought down. Some pre-1965 infill masonry panels damaged. A few post-1980 brick veneers damaged. Decayed timber piles of houses damaged. Houses not secured to foundations may move. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, some below roof-line, many brought down. Environment : Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Small to moderate slides in roadside cuttings and unsupported excavations. Small water and sand ejections and localized lateral spreading adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
    MMI IX (Violent shaking) ?
    Structures Many low standard buildings destroyed. Ordinary workmanship buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes damaged in some cases, some with flexible frames seriously damaged. Damage or permanent distortion to some buildings and bridges, designed and built to normal use standards. Houses not secured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose frames. Environment : Cracking of ground conspicuous. Landsliding general on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified and more widespread, with large lateral spreading and flow sliding adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
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