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6.5 magnitude quake hits off PNG, no tsunami

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea on March 6, officials said, but no Pacific-wide tsunami warning was issued.…

6.5 magnitude quake hits off PNG, no tsunami

(Photo: Twitter)

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea on March 6, officials said, but no Pacific-wide tsunami warning was issued.

The tremor hit at a depth of 28 kilometres (17 miles) near sparsely populated New Britain island, 450 kilometres northeast of the capital Port Moresby, the United States Geological Survey said.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center ruled out a widespread tsunami.

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"Based on all available data, a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected," it said.

New Britain, the largest island of the Bismarck Archipelago, is east of mainland New Guinea and has a population of around 500,000 people.

It lies on the 4,000-kilometre Pacific-Australia plate, which forms part of the "Ring of Fire", a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates

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