| 2009 West Papua earthquakes | |
| Map: | Papua earthquake shakemap.jpg |
| Tags: | y |
| Timestamp: | doublet |
| Timestamp-A: | 2009-01-03 19:43:55 |
| Timestamp-B: | 2009-01-03 22:33:42 |
| Isc-Event-A: | 13989025 |
| Isc-Event-B: | 13989020 |
| Anss-Url-A: | usp000gs2d |
| Anss-Url-B: | usp000gs3t |
| Local-Date: | January 4, 2009 |
| Local-Time-A: | 04:43 |
| Local-Time-B: | 07:23 |
| Magnitude-A: | 7.6 |
| Magnitude-B: | 7.4 |
| Depth: | 300NaN0 |
| Location: | -0.414°N 132.885°W |
| Type: | Thrust[1] |
| Intensity: | A: B: |
| Tsunami: | 1.8m (05.9feet) [2] |
| Casualties: | 4 dead, dozens injured |
The 2009 West Papua earthquakes occurred on January 4 local time in Indonesia's Tambrauw Regency in Southwest Papua (then West Papua Province). The very large earthquake doublet comprised a 7.6 initial shock that had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong) and a second event measuring 7.4 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong). 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.
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.[3] [4]
An official of World Vision International, a humanitarian aid organization, said ten buildings had been 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.