According to the US Geological Survey, a strong 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Papua New Guinea early on Monday.
The temblor happened just after 4:00 am local time, 62 kilometres (or miles) beneath the surface. And 97 kilometres (or miles) from the seaside town of Wewak.
Authorities did not issue a tsunami warning.
The USGS warned that the seismic zone’s loosening of soft ground could harm nearby settlements. Despite the area’s sparse population.
According to the seismology agency, this loosening, or liquefaction. Which can result in significant subsidence, horizontal ground sliding, and significant damage.
People felt the earthquake in a region roughly 100 kilometers east of the border with Indonesia on the island of New Guinea.
In late February, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the remote New Britain region. Which is part of an archipelago in eastern Papua New Guinea.
The quake cracked interior floors and lifted outside paving stones at a new regional hospital. That was nearing completion about 60 kilometres away, photographs taken by a doctor at the scene showed.
Loosening of soft ground in the quake zone can cause substantial subsidence and horizontal sliding of the ground and result in major damage, the USGS said.
The earthquake shook an area about 100 kilometres east of the border with Indonesia on the island of New Guinea.
The remote New Britain region, part of an archipelago in eastern Papua New Guinea, was struck by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in late February.
