Strong quake hits off Papua New Guinea coast: USGS

Sydney, Apr 2: A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea's northern coast yesterday, the US Geological Survey said, with no immediate tsunami warning issued.

The shallow quake hit at 5:24 am local time (1924 GMT Friday) about 120 kilometres (75 miles) northeast of Angoram and over 700 kilometres from the island's capital Port Moresby, USGS said. No damage or injuries were immediately reported.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had no alerts on its website following the quake. Quakes are common on the island nation that lies on the 4,000-kilometre-long Pacific Australia plate, which forms part of the "Ring of Fire", a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.

AFP