Quake shakes Irian Jaya

Quake shakes Irian Jaya

JAKARTA: A powerful earthquake jolted Manokwari and the nearby
towns of Biak and Sorong on Tuesday morning, but no casualties or
damage were reported.

The spokesman for the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, Waan
Tarmin, said the quake, measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale, was
felt strongest in Manokwari.

The office said the epicenter of the quake was 100 kilometers
west of Manokwari, 33 kilometers below the sea.

Antara news agency reported that residents living at the foot
of Mount Arfak in Manokwari were too frightened to return to
their homes, with an aftershock shaking the area 13 minutes after
the initial tremor.

An earthquake jolted Manokwari in 1995. (amd)