Quake hits Papua New Guinea; tsunami warning issued

A powerful earthquake struck near the South Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea on Monday, prompting officials to warn that hazardous tsunami waves could affect some coastlines in the Pacific.

The magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Monday at a depth of 65 km, about 50 km southeast of the town of Kokopo in northeastern Papua New Guinea, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said hazardous tsunami waves were possible for coasts located within 1,000 km of Kokopo. That includes Papua New Guinea and the nearby Solomon Islands.

The tsunami warning centre said tsunami waves reaching 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) were possible for Papua New Guinea’s coastlines.

Officials in the capital, Port Moresby, were working to contact their counterparts in the outer provinces, but there had been no reports of damage or injuries within an hour of the quake rattling the country, said Martin Mose, acting director for Papua New Guinea’s National Disaster Centre. No one had reported seeing any tsunami waves, he added.

“The situation seems to be under control at this stage,” he said.

Tsunami waves of less than 0.3 meters (1 foot) could hit other Pacific island nations, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Hawaii later Monday, the tsunami warning centre said.

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea. The country lies on the “Ring of Fire” an arc of earthquake and volcanic activity that stretches around the Pacific Rim.