A powerful earthquake jolted the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua on Friday, killing at least 10 people, injuring more than 100 others, and destroying dozens of buildings and homes, officials said. The quake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, rocked the Papuan district of Nabire and other areas at about 11:25 a.m. local time, said an official at Jakarta's National Earthquake Centre. Dozens of buildings, houses and churches collapsed from the earthquake, while at least 170 houses were on fire after the rumbling triggered electrical short circuits, said Commissioner Wimpi Batlayeri, Nabire's deputy police chief. Wimpi said residents were still in a panic as aftershocks continued to rattle the region. "All residents in Nabire have to stay overnight outdoor because aftershocks continue," Wimpi told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, in a telephone interview. Hundreds of residents set up makeshift tents on the roadsides. "I can confirm that by early Friday evening, at least 10 people have died from the quake, while more than 100 others sustained injuries," Wimpi said, adding that 25 of the wounded individuals were in serious condition. Wimpi said the quake had seriously damaged a number of bridges, as well as the Nabire's port, while the region's airport had cracked in several places, allowing only small aircraft to land. The earthquake's epicentre was on land, about 17-kilometres southeast of Nabire, which lies 3,555 kilometers northeast of Jakarta, the official said. It was the second powerful earthquake to rock Nabire and nearby areas this year after another earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale hit last February, killing more than 30 people and injuring hundreds of others. Friday's tremor was the second major earthquake to jolt the Indonesian archipelago within two weeks. On November 12, an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale struck the eastern Indonesian island of Alor, killing at least 33 people and injuring more than 100 others, while hundreds of buildings collapsed or were heavily damaged. Indonesia is located in the Pacific volcanic belt known as the "Ring of Fire", where earthquakes and volcanoes are common.
