A significant earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 jolted Central Papua province in Indonesia early Friday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The seismic event’s epicentre was situated 28 kilometres south of Nabire, a town located on the Indonesian portion of the large Pacific island shared with Papua New Guinea. The USGS reported the quake at a depth of 10 kilometres, while Indonesia’s BMKG agency recorded it as a 6.6 magnitude earthquake with a depth of 24 kilometres. The BMKG also noted several smaller aftershocks following the main event. Indonesia, an expansive archipelago, is prone to frequent earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, a region known for intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide. This geological hotspot extends from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin, making Indonesia particularly vulnerable to such natural occurrences.