A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit off the Papua New Guinea coast early on Friday, officials said, but there was no tsunami warning or immediate reports of damage. A spokesman for the Port Moresby-based National Disaster Management Office said there were no immediate reports of damage but regional disaster management teams would carry out assessments later in the day. “We have been in contact with the regional office and they are going out to check it,” he told AFP. Papua New Guinea sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a hotspot for seismic activity. Its mountainous and remote terrain means it often takes several days for information about damage from quakes to reach officials and aid agencies.

Source: Hindustan Times March 09, 2018 03:56 UTC