Earthquake of 6.5 magnitude jolts Papua New Guinea, no tsunami warning issued

The US Geological Survey reported that a shallow earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 occurred on Tuesday off the northern coast of Papua New Guinea. However, no tsunami warning was issued.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) offshore, not far from Wekak, the provincial capital of East Sepik Province in the Pacific island nation.

The epicentre was found on Monday at 8:46 a.m. local time (2146 GMT), at a depth of approximately 12 kilometers (seven miles), according to the USGS.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre stated in a different bulletin that there is “no tsunami threat”.

Situated atop the seismic “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense tectonic activity spanning Southeast Asia and the Pacific basin, Papua New Guinea experiences frequent earthquakes.

In the sparsely populated jungle highlands, they rarely cause extensive damage, but they can set off devastating landslides.

An interior jungle was struck by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in April of this year, leaving at least seven people dead.

In the densely forested Karawari region, close to the epicentre of the earthquake, about 180 houses were destroyed.

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck the untamed north of the country in September of last year destroyed hundreds of homes, split roads, and knocked out power, killing ten people.

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