A 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit off eastern Papua New Guinea on Sunday, prompting a tsunami warning from the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Citing USGS, AFP reports that the quake struck at a depth of 61 kilometers (38 miles), about 67 kilometers from the town of Kainantu.
USGS has also warned of a possible tsunami, saying that tsunami waves were possible within 1,000 kilometers of the epicenter.
Meanwhile, the 7.6-magnitude earthquake destroyed a building in the coastal town of Madang. Apart from this, some isolated damage was reported in the country.
According to NDTV, a building has been reported damaged in the earthquake felt in southern Papua New Guinea. The USGS issued a “tsunami warning”, however, that threat “has now passed”, but sea level will rise in some coastal areas.
After the earthquake, there were reports of power outages and damage to buildings in various parts of Papua New Guinea. The tremors were felt from various cities in the country to the capital Port Moresby.
Pictures and videos show huge cracks in the walls of a university in the eastern part of the city of Gorka, and windows blown away.
Locals in Lao and Madang said the tremors were stronger than other earthquakes.
