(Reuters) – A “dangerous tsunami wave” warning was briefly issued for coastal regions within 300 kms (186.41 miles) of Wau in northeast Papua New Guinea, after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the region. said the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
The earthquake occurred at approximately 12.50 pm local time, at a depth of 85 km (52 miles), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), and occurred offshore 18 km (11 miles) ) east-southeast of Wau.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a tsunami warning, but said that about an hour later the danger had passed.
There were no immediate reports of earthquake casualties or damage, which was initially recorded at 7.3 but later adjusted, and PNG’s National Disaster Center declined to comment until it received a briefing.
Wau is a former inland gold mining town with a population of approximately 5,000, about 150 kms (93 miles) southwest of PNG’s second largest city, Lae.
A person who answered the phone at the Lae City Hotel said they had felt the earthquake but there was no damage to the property.
“It is normal, the earthquake here. The staff is fine. They just continued, “said the person.
The hotel was full but all the guests were outside at the time of the earthquake, the person added.
Reports by Byron Kaye in Sydney and Shubham Kalia in Bangalore; Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill and Michael Perry edition
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