A POWERFUL magnitude 6.9 earthquake has rattled Papua New Guinea, triggering a tsunami warning for coastal areas.
The shallow quake struck just 120 miles east of Kimbe, a coastal town in the New Britain region, around 9.04 pm local time, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The epicentre was offshore, at a depth of just six miles, amplifying tsunami fears.
The USGS warned that waves between one to three meters could slam into parts of Papua New Guinea’s coastline, while a separate advisory for the Solomon Islands cautioned about possible waves up to 0.3 meters.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, but authorities remain on high alert.
The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) pegged the quake at magnitude 7.1, deeper at 49 km, highlighting slight discrepancies in early readings.
New Britain, home to over 500,000 people, lies within the volatile Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a hotspot for seismic activity where tectonic plates constantly shift.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology and New Zealand authorities both confirmed no tsunami threat to their countries.
Emergency teams in Papua New Guinea are monitoring the situation as residents along the coast brace for potential aftershocks and rising waters.
It comes just days after a horror 7.7magnitude earthquake ripped through Myanmar, with tremors being felt all the way in Bangkok, Thailand.
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