PNG is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, making it prone to frequent earthquakes.
At least five people were killed and several households damaged after a heavy rain Earthquake hits Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Sunday. The magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck at a depth of 90 km near the town of Kainantu.
While the extent of the damage remains unclear, a video shared on social media showed cracks, damaged cars and debris scattered across the highway.
Watch the video below:
Based on ANI, the earthquake also caused landslides. Power outages are over-reported in parts of PNG, with tremors felt across the county from towns near the epicenter to the capital, Port Moresby.
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The US Geological Survey issued a tsunami warning but later said the threat “has now passed”.
PNG’s prime minister, James Marape, declared that the quake was “major” and told people to exercise caution. He added that national and provincial disaster agencies, as well as leaders, have been asked to assess the scale of damage and injuries to residents.
The United Nations alone reports that people have been injured by falling structures or debris, and that several health centers, homes, rural roads and highways have been damaged.
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Papua New Guinea is prone to earthquakes because it is located along the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific Ocean. An earthquake of a similar scale that struck in the remote highlands of the country in 2018 killed more than 60 people, destroyed homes, caused landslides and damaged a major gas plant. Follow ANIThere have been about 22 recorded magnitude 7.5 earthquakes in New Guinea since 1900.
