A 7.6-MAGNITUDE earthquake hit off eastern Papua New Guinea today, with locals reporting damage to buildings near the town of Madang and further inland.

The US Geological Survey, which reported the quake, issued a tsunami warning but subsequently said the threat “has now passed”.

It did, however, note that there could still be “minor sea level fluctuations in some coastal areas”.

Locals in Madang who spoke to AFP said they felt “very strong shaking”. There were reports of damage to buildings.

The quake struck at a depth of 61km, about 67km from the town of Kainantu, the USGS said.

Papua New Guinea sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, causing it to experience frequent earthquakes.

In neighbouring Indonesia in 2004 a 9.1-magnitude quake triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 throughout the region, including about 170,000 in Indonesia. – AFP, September 10, 2022.