New Ireland quake downsized

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – A large earthquake that struck in Papua New Guinea’s islands region this week has been revised downwards to magnitude 6.8.

The quake – which rocked an area some 20km off the east coast of New Ireland – was initially reported as being a 7.1, but the US Geological Survey revised the figure yesterday.

Telecommunication links to New Ireland’s Namatanai district where the epicentre was nearest are unreliable but local MP Walter Schnaubelt told RNZ Pacific that so far there were no reports of any serious damage or casualties.

The quake was strongly felt in the closest big town, East New Britain’s capital Kokopo, some 100 kilometres to the west, according to a Namatanai native, Leonard Tonggo.

“In Kokopo there’s no report of any damages as yet. But in New Ireland, the place is a bit remote – there’s communication problems there. But we are used to earthquakes, not like in the Highlands were they are experiencing lots of problems,” Tonggo said.