A powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook Indonesia’s Papua province on Thursday, October 16, 2025, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The tremor originated at a depth of 70 kilometers (approximately 43.5 miles) with its epicenter located about 200 kilometers from Abepura, a city home to over 62,000 residents. Crucially, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirmed that no tsunami alert was issued following the event.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s own Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) registered the earthquake slightly differently, reporting a magnitude of 6.4 at a shallower depth of 16 kilometers.
Daryono, the agency’s director for earthquakes and tsunamis, noted in a statement that no aftershocks had been observed immediately after the main tremor.
As a sprawling archipelago, Indonesia is prone to frequent seismic activity, situated directly on the notorious Pacific “Ring of Fire.” This volatile arc is characterized by intense tectonic plate collisions, extending from Japan, through Southeast Asia, and across the entire Pacific basin.
Indonesia’s Papua province occupies the western portion of a major Pacific island, which it shares with its neighbor, Papua New Guinea.