Magnitude 7.6 Earthquake Strikes Papua New Guinea

An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck the Eastern New Guinea region in Papua New Guinea on Sunday, reportedly damaging property and spreading panic among residents.

There were no reports of casualties, and no official confirmation of any damage to property.

The quake was at a depth of 80 km (49.7 miles) the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.

The U.S tsunami warning system issued a tsunami warning after the quake but it later said the threat had passed.

There was no immediate tsunami threat to Australia, its Bureau of Meteorology said.

Papua New Guinea residents took to the social media sharing images and videos of cracked roads, damaged buildings and cars, and items falling off supermarket shelves.

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits on the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.

A magnitude 7.5 quake rocked PNG’s remote mountainous highlands in 2018, killing more 100 people and damaging thousands of homes.

By Mrinmay Dey and Praveen Menon