4.7-magnitude earthquake hits Sarmi, Indonesia's Papua
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck the coastal Sarmi Regency, Indonesia's Papua region, at 9:10 a.m. local time on Saturday, May 9, 2026, according to the country's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG).
The seismic event occurred at a shallow depth of 12 kilometers, News.Az reports, citing Asatunews.
The epicenter was located about 36 kilometers from the town of Sarmi, which has a population of approximately 14,100 residents.
Preliminary data indicates that while the tremor was widely felt in the surrounding area, it is not expected to have caused significant structural damage.
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A secondary report from the RaspberryShake citizen-seismograph network also confirmed the magnitude at 4.7.
BMKG provided the primary analysis of the quake, placing the epicenter at coordinates 1.96°S and 139.06°E. Residents in Sarmi reported weak shaking as the tremor passed through northern Papua.
Monitoring services noted that the shallow depth of the earthquake increased the likelihood that it was felt more clearly across the region, though impacts remained relatively light.
By Nijat Babayev
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