A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Papua New Guinea's New Britain Island on Saturday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The earthquake struck at 6:04 am local time (2004 GMT) and was centered approximately 194 kilometers (120 miles) southeast of Kimbe, the nearest major town.
The quake, which occurred at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (six miles), prompted the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to issue a warning for potential tsunami waves ranging from one to three meters. Additionally, smaller waves of less than 0.3 meters were predicted for parts of the neighboring Solomon Islands.
About 30 minutes later, a smaller 5.3 magnitude earthquake occurred in nearly the same location, according to the USGS.
Papua New Guinea, located along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," experiences frequent seismic activity due to its position atop a major tectonic plate boundary. While such earthquakes are common in the region, they typically cause limited damage in sparsely populated areas, although they can trigger destructive landslides. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely for further developments.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)