A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 was recorded Friday in eastern Papua New Guinea, resulting in the issuance by local authorities of a tsunami warning. The American observatory USGS clarified that the earthquake had occurred at 12:50 (02:50 GMT) at a depth of 85 km, several hundred kilometers northeast of the capital Port Moresby.
In February 2018, an earthquake killed at least 125 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has warned people living in coastal areas within a 300 km radius of the epicenter, citing the risk of "dangerous" waves. No immediate information was available on any damage caused by this earthquake.
Due to the precariousness of the means of communication in Papua New Guinea, the difficulty of the terrain and the lack of roads, it sometimes takes days to become aware of the extent of the impact of natural disasters in the archipelago . Papua is on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the scene of intense volcanic and seismic activity. In February 2018, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in central Papua New Guinea killed at least 125 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings.