M 6.8 Earthquake Hits Papua New Guinea
Initially reported as a 7.0 magnitude was downgraded (updated) to a 6.8.
No tsunami warning, advisory, watch, or threat to nearby islands at present.
The quake hit at around 3:40am local time at a depth of six miles (10km), according to the US Geographical Survey (USGS).
No serious injuries were immediately reported following the quake event.
Last week t least 55 people died in a separate earthquake in Papua New Guinea, although authorities fear the toll could exceed 100.
The 7.5 magnitude disaster, which took place last Monday, destroyed homes, triggered landslides and halted work at four oil and gas fields.
express UK reports:
Southern Highlands governor William Powi yesterday people were feeling traumatised from the earthquake and ongoing aftershocks.
He said: “It is beyond the capacity of the provincial government to cope with the magnitude of destruction and devastation.
“Our people are traumatised and finding it difficult to cope.”
Australian Sally Lloyd, who is visiting Papua New Guinea, said villagers were terrified by the constant shaking.
She said: “It is terror. They think the end of the world is happening.”
The Pacific Ring of Fire is the most geologically active area in the world, with more than 90 percent of earthquakes occurring there.
The recent volatility in the region has increased fears for the Big One: a major earthquake in a highly populated area on the US west coast or in Japan.
