5.1-magnitude earthquake claims lives in Indonesia

A 5.1-magnitude earthquake shook Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua on Thursday, killing at least four people who were unable to escape when a floating restaurant collapsed into the sea. The quake hit residential areas near Papua’s northern coast and was centered at a depth of 13 miles. Shallow quakes often cause more damage on the Earth’s surface.

The bodies of the four victims had been recovered and that divers were searching nearby for possible survivors. Homes, buildings and medical facilities also were damaged. Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said it had recorded 1,079 earthquakes in Jayapura and the nearby regions, since January 2 until today.