Fall out expected over fiery first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill and Prime Minister hopes to meet with leaders at APEC summit. Video / NZ Herald
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake rattled Papua New Guinea today, the United States Geological Survey said, striking off the country’s eastern coast.
The USGS said the quake was 51km deep and located 123.2km from the closest town of Kokopo.
The Papua New Guinea National Disaster Centre said it wasassessing for damage.
A hotel receptionist in Kokopo, Vernon Gash, told AFP the earthquake was “a bit intense” and lasted under a minute.
“We are used to it, it happens all the time,” he said, adding there was no damage to the hotel.
Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits on top of the seismic “Ring of Fire” – an arc of intense tectonic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
Although they seldom cause widespread damage in sparsely populated areas, they can trigger destructive landslides.
