SYDNEY, Australia: A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit northern Papua New Guinea Sunday morning, said the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was “no tsunami threat” from the inland quake, which struck at 6:22 am local time (2022 GMT Saturday) at a depth of approximately 35 kilometres (21 miles).
According to the USGS, the “notable quake” hit some 88 kilometres southwest of Wewak town, the capital of Papua New Guinea’s East Sepik province and that houses around 25,000 people.
The local media didn’t report of immediate damage or injuries. The earthquake was downgraded from an preliminary magnitude of 7.0.
Earthquakes are common in the country, which sits on top of the seismic “Ring of Fire” — an arc of intense tectonic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
Earthquakes rarely cause widespread damage in sparsely populated forested highlands, but they can trigger devastating landslides.
Last April, a 7-magnitude earthquake shook the inland, forested area, killing at least seven people.
Many of the island nation’s 9 million people live outside major cities and towns, where the rough terrain and lack of paved roads can severely hamper search and rescue efforts.
