7.5 magnitude earthquake strikes Papua New Guinea - USGS

Published time: 25 Feb, 2018 18:00 Edited time: 26 Feb, 2018 07:07

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake has struck the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea, in the Southern Highlands near the center of the country, US Geological Survey (USGS) has reported.

The quake took place at a depth of 35 kilometers, according to USGS and just 10 kilometers, according to European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). Its epicenter was in a mountainous region around 40 kilometers north of Mount Bosavi, an extinct volcano.

Prelim M7.5 earthquake New Guinea, Papua New Guinea Feb-25 17:44 UTC, updates https://t.co/IcwTaekjId
— USGS Big Quakes (@USGSBigQuakes) February 25, 2018

It’s not yet clear what the extent of the damage is, or if there are any injuries or fatalities from this latest seismic event.

major #earthquake shakes New Guinea, Papua New Guinea 8 min ago. More info at: https://t.co/HtPQp2TBkO pic.twitter.com/Ef7lue5Ir2
— EMSC (@LastQuake) 25 февраля 2018 г.

Papua New Guinea lies on the Ring of Fire, a notoriously seismic zone across the northern, eastern and western boundaries of the Pacific ocean. In January 2017, it suffered a 7.9 magnitude earthquake, leading to warnings of a tsunami.