MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A 7.4-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of the New Britain Island in Papua New Guinea, hazardous tsunami waves are expected in some coastal areas.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at 01:44 GMT on Tuesday. Its epicenter was located at a depth of 63 kilometers (39 miles) about 133 kilometers (83 miles) southwest of the city of Kokopo, the capital of the East New Britain province.
"Tsunami waves reaching 0.3 to 1 meters above the tide level are possible for some coasts of Papua New Guinea," PTWC said in its Tuesday alert.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Earthquakes of a 6.0 magnitude and above are considered strong and can lead to human casualties and the destruction of infrastructure.
Papua New Guinea is located in the so-called Ring of Fire quake zone. It has been hit by devastating earthquakes in the past, most notably in July, 1998, when a quake led to an undersea landslide and a tsunami, killing over 2,200 people.
