Hijjah 21, 1431 / Nov. 27, 2010, SPA -- An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale jolted Fakfak in West Papua in the early morning of Saturday. The local Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that the epicenter of the temblor was located at 3.28 degrees southern latitude and 131.06 degrees eastern longitude at a depth of 25 kilometers under sea level, 144 kilometers southwest of Fakfak. But so far there was no immediate report of casualties or material damage caused by the earthquake, ANTARA reported. Meanwhile, Maluku's BMKG spokesman Irwan Slamet reported from Ambon afterward that four hours after the earthquake hit Fakfak, another one measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale also jolted Maluku at 5.12 am local time. Irwan said the epicenter of the temblor was located 167 kilometers northeast of Ambon at a depth of 10 kilometers under sea level. The epicenter was located 2.53 degrees southern latitude and 129.19 degrees eastern longitude, or 284 kilometers southeast of Labuha in North Maluku, 298 kilometers southwest of Sorong in Papua, and 349 kilometers northwest of Fakfak. "We intensively monitor possible aftershocks and therefore we hope the people will remain calm but alert," Irwan Slamet said. Irwan admitted that Maluku, especially the southeastern part of the province, was quake prone and therefore BMKG continues to monitor it. "The area of West Southeast Maluku (MTB) district town of Saumlaki is almost every day jolted by tremors but at a low intensity so the people sometimes does not feel it," he said.
