Powerful quake hits Papua and Indonesia

An earthquake measuring 7.2 Richter scale rocked Papua in eastern parts of Indonesia on Saturday, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said here. The USGS reported the quake was at 7.1 magnitude. The quake struck at 11:42 a.m. Jakarta time with epicenter at 56 km northeast Tolikara of Papua and with the depth at 173 km under land, an official of the agency told Xinhua by phone. The intensity of the quake was felt at 4 MMI (Modified Mercally Intensity) in Wamena, Tanah Merah, Sentani, Jayapura and 2 MMI in Timika, the official said. Indonesia sits on a vulnerable quake hit zone so called "the Pacific Ring of Fire".