6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes off Papua New Guinea, no tsunami warning

The authorities say there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

6.8 magnitude earthquake strikes off Rabaul in Papua New Guinea
Geophysicist talks on the phone concerning the earthquake and tsunami warning near Papua New Guinea. Reuters

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea on Saturday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). However, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The authorities said there was no tsunami warning from the quake that struck about 120 km (75 miles) south of Bougainville island.

Papua New Guinea is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is a zone of seismic activity and volcanoes around the edges of the Pacific Ocean. According to USGS, the nation witnesses quakes quite often as it lies in an area where the friction between tectonic plates produces unusually high seismic activity.

The ring stretches 25,000 miles from New Zealand, past Japan, across the Bering Strait and down to the tip of South America and includes more than 400 underwater volcanoes.

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