A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of the South Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea. There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries and no tsunami alert has been issued.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-6.3 quake struck on Tuesday about 160 km east of the town of Kandrian on the island of New Britain. The quake struck at a depth of 9 km.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre did not issue a tsunami alert.
Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea. The country lies on the “Ring of Fire” an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around the Pacific Rim. About 90 per cent of the world’s quakes occur in the region.
