6.0-magnitude quake hits off Papua New Guinea

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey, but no Pacific-wide tsunami warning was issued.

The tremor hit at a depth of five kilometers (three miles) near the sparsely-populated East New Britain region, some 210 kilometers southeast of the town of Kokopo, the USGS said.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning.

Earthquakes are common near Papua New Guinea, which lies on the 4,000-kilometer-long Pacific Australia plate.

It forms part of the “Ring of Fire,” a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.

 

© Agence France-Presse