An earthquake can trigger landslides that would be devastating. Local authorities warn of tsunamis.
A 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit the eastern coast of Papua New Guinea on Friday, the US Geological Survey said. TASR informs about it based on the AFP report.
According to the USGS, the earthquake occurred approximately 120 kilometers from the nearest town of Kokopo at a depth of 51 kilometers. Papua New Guinea’s National Disaster Center said it was assessing the damage. In sparsely populated areas, earthquakes rarely cause extensive damage, but they can trigger devastating landslides.
Authorities did not issue a tsunami warning after the earthquake. Earthquakes are common in the country due to the fact that it lies on the so-called Ring of Fire. It is the most active volcanic zone of the Earth, which runs from the west coast of North America through the Aleutian Islands to Japan and Indonesia to New Zealand. More than half of the world’s volcanoes are located in this zone.
