An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale has struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea’s New Britain Island.

It has reportedly triggered a tsunami warning for surrounding coastlines.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred 144km East of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea. The depth of the earthquake was 35.0 km depth.

 There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage by far. </s> (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit Papua New Guinea’s New Britain island, 186 km (115 miles) east of Kandrian, on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the quake which, USGS said struck at 1120 GMT, the Center added. Earlier reports measured the magnitude at 6.4 </s> A 6-point-1 magnitude earthquake has hit Papua New Guinea’s New Britain Island.

It was around 20 miles deep and struck east of Kandrian.

So far, there have been no reports of any injuries or damage. </s> A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea's New Britain island on Friday, initially triggering a tsunami warning for surrounding coastlines, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The shallow quake struck close to the coast, 162 km south-west of Rabaul, a much more remote region than the country's mountainous mainland highlands where a magnitude 7.5 tremor struck on February 26, killing 100 people.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) issued a threat warning for the country's coastline located within 300 km of the quake's epicentre, but later advised that the threat had passed.

Dellie Minding, a receptionist at the Rabaul Hotel in the east of New Britain, around 20 minutes from the coast, said the earthquake was felt, with many guests running outside, but there was no damage. </s> A powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea Sunday, shaking homes and sparking a tsunami alert, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.

The tsunami warning for the Pacific island nation and its neighbours was later cancelled.

The tremor struck 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Panguna on Papua New Guinea's Bougainville island at a depth of 153 kilometres at 3:30 pm local time (0430 GMT), the US Geological Survey said.

No reports of damage or injuries have emerged so far, said the PNG Geophysical Observatory in the capital Port Moresby.

"But we know that given such a depth at which the earthquake happened, the chances of any major damage or casualties are not highly likely," spokesman Mathew Moihoi told AFP.

"Had there been any major disturbances or damage, we would have known by now," he said, adding that the area where the quake struck was sparsely populated.

USGS's preliminary assessment was that light to moderate damage was possible on Bougainville island. The quake was revised down from 8.0-magnitude to 7.9.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of between 0.3 and one metre (1-3 feet) above tide level were possible for some coastal areas of PNG and the neighbouring Solomon Islands.

The center issued another statement about an hour later to say that threat had passed.

"Even though it is quite deep at 150 kilometres, because it is such a large earthquake, it will produce shaking on the surface," Geoscience Australia seismologist Spiro Spiliopoulos told AFP earlier.

He added that some damage was possible.

Aid group Save the Children has a office on Buka island next to the main Bougainville island.

Its PNG country director Jennifer El-Sibai described the quake as "really powerful" but said no reports of damage had been received so far.

Connie Wihongi-Stevens posted on Facebook that her husband, who is working in Arawa some 46 kilometres west of where the quake struck, was safe but shaken.

"The home he was in shook terribly and people were running everywhere cars rocking to and fro not nice hoping to hear from him when the power comes back on," she wrote.

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A 7.9-magnitude quake struck off Papua New Guinea in mid-December, but no casualties were reported and an initial tsunami threat was later deemed to have passed.

Earthquakes are common near Papua New Guinea, which lies on the 4,000-kilometre-long Pacific Australia plate.

It forms part of the "Ring of Fire", a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.

In 2013 the Solomon Islands were hit by a devastating tsunami after an 8.0-magnitude earthquake rattled the region. That tsunami left at least 10 people dead, destroyed hundreds of homes and left thousands of people homeless. </s> A strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake has struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea's New Britain island, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says.

Hazardous tsunami waves were forecast for some coastlines but there were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake struck some 162km (100 miles) from Rabaul, on New Britain island, at 07:25 on Friday (21:25 GMT Thursday).

The USGS originally estimated a shallow depth of 10km but later revised it to 35km.

Dellie Minding, a receptionist at the Rabaul Hotel in the east of New Britain, told Reuters news agency the earthquake had been felt, with many guests running outside, but there had been no damage.

At the Rapopo Plantation Resort on the coast, receptionist May Dovon said she had not heard of any casualties or damage, the agency adds.

"We felt the earthquake, everything was moving so we went out of the building," the receptionist told Reuters. "Nothing was damaged."

The country is still recovering from a magnitude 7.5 quake on 26 February.

At least 100 people died in Enga province, where massive landslides buried whole villages.

It took weeks to establish the full extent of damage in the remote, worst-affected areas. </s> A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea’s New Britain island on Friday, triggering a tsunami warning for surrounding coastlines.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the shallow quake close to the coast, about 162km southwest of Rabaul.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) issued a threat warning for the country’s coastline located within 300km of the quake’s epicentre, but later advised that the threat had passed.

“Government agencies responsible for threatened coastal areas should take action to inform and instruct any coastal populations at risk,” the PTWC said in its alert. “Persons located in threatened coastal areas should stay alert for information.”

Australian authorities said there was no threat to the Australian coastline from the quake, which was initially reported as a magnitude 7.2.

Papua New Guinea, one of the world’s poorest countries, is still reeling a month after a magnitude 7.5 quake in its rugged and remote highlands, killing at least 100 people as landslides buried villages. – Reuters </s> A strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake has struck off the cost of Papua New Guinea's New Britain island, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says.

Hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coastlines.

The quake struck at a shallow depth of 10km (six miles), around 162km from the town of Rabaul, on New Britain island.

It hit near the coast at around 07:25 on Friday (21:25 GMT on Thursday). There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The country is still recovering from a magnitude 7.5 quake on 26 February.

At least 100 people died in Enga province, where massive landslides buried whole villages.

It took weeks to establish the full extent of damage in the remote, worst-affected areas.
• A disaster unfolding out of sight in PNG </s> A 6.9 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea, triggering a tsunami warning for nearby coastlines.The quake struck at a depth of 10km, about 162 kilometres from the town of Rabaul on New Britain Island, about 7.25am on Friday.There have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties, though one hotel worker told Reuters her guests ran out of the building in fright.The tsunami warning was later called off.Little more than a month ago, the country suffered a lethal 7.5 magnitude earthquake.At least 100 people in the Enga province died in the quake on February 26, and massive landslides saw entire villages buried.The townspeople spent weeks trying to determine the damage caused by the quake, and are still struggling to get aid to the most remote and worst affected areas.Water supplies also took a hit on the country's main island after they were damaged by the tremors.Papua New Guinea is no stranger to earthquakes, as it sits on the 'ring of fire' in the Pacific Ocean.The Ring of Fire forms a horse-shoe shape and affects more than a dozen counties. About 90 per cent of the world's earthquakes, and 81 per cent of the largest earthquakes occur in this area.More to come.
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes off the coast of New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 35 km (22 mi). There are no reports of immediate damage. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43592321 (BBC)