Magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes Papua New Guinea: USGS

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes Papua New Guinea: USGS
by AFP Staff Writers
Sydney (AFP) Mar 13, 2024

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit Papua New Guinea early Thursday, about 65 kilometres southeast of the town of Kimbe, the United States Geological Survey said.

The quake had a depth of approximately 50 kilometres (31 miles), and struck outside Kimbe, in the West New Britain region, at about 1:13 am (1513 GMT Wednesday), the USGS said.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, and no tsunami warning was issued.

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits on top of the seismic "Ring of Fire" -- an arc of intense tectonic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Although they seldom cause widespread damage in the sparsely populated jungle highlands, they can trigger destructive landslides.

At least seven people were killed in April last year when a 7.0-magnitude quake hit a jungle-clad area in the country's interior.

About 180 homes were destroyed in the heavily rainforested Karawari area, near the quake's epicentre.

Many of the island nation's nine million citizens live outside major towns and cities, where the difficult terrain and lack of sealed roads can seriously hamstring search-and-rescue efforts.

Magnitude 5.4 quake hits Bosnia-Montenegro border region
Podgorica, Montenegro (AFP) Mar 14, 2024 - A magnitude 5.4 quake struck the border region between Montenegro and Bosnia early Thursday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The quake's epicentre was around 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the town of Niksic in western Montenegro and 25 kilometres from the Bosnian town of Bileca.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The tremor had a depth of about 7.6 kilometres and was felt as far as the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, more than 200 kilometres (124 miles) away.

The Balkans are an area of high seismic activity and prone to earthquakes.

A magnitude 5.7 quake struck the same region in April 2022, killing one person and injuring several others in Stolac, Bosnia.

In December 2020, a major earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 hit central Croatia, killing seven people and destroying hundreds of buildings and homes.

In March that same year, the Croatian capital Zagreb was hit by a magnitude 5.3 earthquake that caused extensive damage.

And in Albania, which borders Montenegro, more than 50 people were killed in a 2019 magnitude 6.4 earthquake that also left thousands homeless.