A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The quake occurred at a depth of 51 kilometers (31.6 miles) and was located 123.2 kilometers from Kokopo, the nearest town.
The Papua New Guinea National Disaster Centre is currently assessing the damage. No tsunami warnings were issued following the earthquake.
Papua New Guinea, situated along the seismic “Ring of Fire”—an area of high tectonic activity stretching through Southeast Asia and the Pacific—is prone to frequent earthquakes. While these quakes rarely cause widespread damage in the region’s sparsely populated areas, they can trigger dangerous landslides.