PORT MORESBY (AFP) — A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 shook Papua New Guinea on Thursday, seismologists said, reportedly plunging parts of the second largest city Lae into darkness.
Water tanks burst, goods were knocked off shelves and television sets tumbled to the floor in hotel rooms, the Australian Associated Press said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
"It was a ripper, it emptied our shelves and smashed glasses," said Australian resident Larry George.
The quake, which rattled the area for some time and was the biggest many residents had felt, also burst a water tank and the power was cut, he said.
A staff member at the Lae International Hotel said television sets were damaged after falling to the floor in guest rooms.
The quake struck at 6:48 pm local time (0848 GMT) and was centred 101 kilometers (63 miles) north of Lae, the US Geological Survey said.
The quake was underground at a depth of 77 kilometres and was 400 kilometres north of the Pacific island nation's capital of Port Moresby, it said.
Papua New Guinea is home to many active volcanoes and sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where several tectonic plates collide. The region is frequently rocked by earthquakes.
A quake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck the remote PNG island of Bougainville on Tuesday.
Strong quake hits Papua New Guinea
Share This Thread