Australia’s closest neighbor is rocked by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake
- LAST MINUTE: Earthquake shakes Papua New Guinea
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the New Britain province of Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea is Australia’s closest neighbor.
The quake struck at 7:24am (AEDT) at a depth of 57km, according to Geoscience Australia.
The US Geological Survey said it occurred about 47 kilometers from Kimbe, the capital of New Britain.
The Met Office has confirmed that there is no tsunami threat for Australia.
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the New Britain province (pictured) of Papua New Guinea, about 47 km from Kimbe, the provincial capital.
Papua New Guinea lies along the so-called ‘Ring of Fire’ in the Pacific Ocean, making it vulnerable to earthquakes when tectonic plates push against each other.
The Ring of Fire extends 40,000 km from the Pacific Plate to smaller plates such as the Philippine Sea Plate and the Cocos and Nazca Plates.
The world’s most active volcanoes are also found along the Ring of Fire.
Last September, an even larger earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck Papua New Guinea, causing widespread panic.
More to come.
A photo of the September 2022 earthquake in Papua New Guinea shows the damage inside a house
