6.6 magnitude earthquake hit northern Papua New Guinea

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck northern Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The agency initially recorded the quake at 6.7 but later adjusted the figure slightly downward.

The tremor occurred at a depth of about 99km, roughly 26km west of Lae — the coastal capital of Morobe Province and Papua New Guinea’s second-largest city, home to around 76,000 people. Papua New Guinea is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region notorious for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

So far, there have been no immediate reports of injuries or property damage. The USGS confirmed that no tsunami warning was issued, and thus authorities in both Australia and the Philippines stated that their countries faced no tsunami threat.