A strong earthquake measuring 6.6 in magnitude struck near Lae, Papua New Guinea’s second-largest city, on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The quake’s epicentre was located about 26 kilometres (16 miles) from Lae in Morobe province, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres, the USGS said. No tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
City police official Mildred Ongige said by phone that a “very huge” earthquake was felt across the area. “It was a few minutes ago so we have no further details of damage, but we are concerned,” she added.
As of the time of reporting, there were no immediate local accounts of damage or casualties. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), which initially reported the tremor at 6.8 magnitude, later revised its estimate to 6.6.
Lae, home to over 76,000 residents, is a key industrial and port city in Papua New Guinea. The country lies on the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire,” an area notorious for its frequent and often severe seismic activity.
In March last year, a 6.7-magnitude quake struck the remote East Sepik province, killing three people and destroying more than 1,000 homes — a reminder of the vulnerability of communities across the region to such natural disasters.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation in Lae for potential aftershocks or reports of structural damage.
Melissa Enoch
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