SYDNEY: A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit off the Papua New Guinea coast early 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 Friday. “We’ve been in contact with the regional office and they are going out to check it,” he told AFP. The epicentre was more than 800 kilometres east of the 7.5-magnitude quake that hit the highlands region of the Pacific nation on February 26, killing at least 67 people. Its mountainous and remote terrain means it often takes several days for information about damage from quakes to reach officials and aid agencies.

Source: New Strait Times March 08, 2018 22:30 UTC