Indonesia hit by 6.1-magnitude earthquake after volanco erupts

Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua on Sunday after a volcano erupted on another island.

The quake was about 98 miles south-southwest of the province's capital, Jayapura, on the island of New Guinea at a depth of 38 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It occurred at 4:42 p.m. Sunday in Indonesia.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire."

Earlier Sunday, the 5,856-foot-tall Mount Soputan volcano on Indonesia's Sulawesi island erupted twice, sending ash 9.8 feet into the sky, the country's disaster management agency says.

The ash was not considered a threat to aviation, agency spokesman Sutopo Nugroho said.

At 3:09 a.m., bright incandescence from lava fountaining was seen above the peak of the volcano, according to Volcano Discovery.

There are 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia.