</s>An earthquake of magnitude 7.5 has struck Papua New Guinea, according to the US Geological Survey.

The quake hit early on Monday morning in a central region of the country's main island of New Guinea at a depth of 35 kilometres.

About a half an hour later a second earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 in the same area with a depth of 39 kilometres.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre showed that there was no threat of a tsunami for Australia.

Papua New Guinea sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for seismic upheavals and volcanic eruptions.</s>The 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the heart of the island near the near the Southern Highlands area, with tremors felt across the nearby region.

The phenomenon hit at a depth of 10km at roughly 4am local time (6pm GMT).

It is currently unclea rif any damage or injuries were cause by the substantial siesmic event.

Papua New Ginuea rests on the so-called 'Ring of Fire' – a hotbed of seismic activity surrounding a tectonic plate that spans the pacific.

Despite the magintude of the huge quake, officials have confirmed there is no risk of a resultant tsunami.

A statement from the US’ Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said: “An Earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 occurred in New Guinea, Papua New Guinea at 1745 UTC on Sunday February 25, 2018.</s>Sydney: An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale hit Southern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said on Monday. However, no casualty was reported.

The earthquake, which occurred on Sunday near Mendi town, was determined to be at 6.149 degrees south latitude and 142.766 degrees east longitude at a depth of 35 km, Xinhua news agency reported. No fatality has been reported in the township of around 50,000 people. However, Don Blakeman from USGS told the media that significant damage was very likely. No tsunami warning has been issued.</s>(CNN) — Authorities in Papua New Guinea are assessing the damage after a magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck the Pacific country early Monday.

The US Geological Survey said the quake hit at 3:45 a.m. local time (12:45 p.m. ET Sunday) near Porgera, northwest of the capital Port Moresby. It was 35 kilometers deep.

“The National Government has dispatched disaster assessment teams to parts of Southern Highlands Province and Hela Province following an earthquake in the early hours of this morning,” Chief Secretary to Government Isaac Lupari said in a statement.

“The National Disaster Centre is working with provincial authorities to assess any damage and impacts on service delivery in the area. The Papua New Guinea Defence Force has also been mobilized to assist with the assessment and the delivery of assistance to affected people as well as the restoration of services and infrastructure,” the statement said.

Lupari warned residents to be aware of potential aftershocks: “It is advisable to stay out of multistory buildings, to be aware of the potential of landslides, and to be prepared to move to open ground in the event that an aftershock is felt.”

According to the USGS’s assessment, “significant casualties and damage are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread.”

It estimated that the quake could have been felt by more than a million residents, with approximately 40,000 exposed to “violent” shaking.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami was not expected.

“Our thoughts are with the people of Papua New Guinea, especially in Southern Highlands and Hela Provinces, affected by this morning’s earthquake and aftershocks. Australia stands ready to assist in assessing the damage and meeting the needs of affected communities,” Australian High Commissioner Bruce Davis said on Twitter.

Radio New Zealand International reported that three deaths had been confirmed.</s>PAPUA New Guinea has been rocked by a huge 7.5magnitude earthquake just moments after a smaller seismic event struck Japan, increasing fears of a natural disaster impacting the dangerous region dubbed the 'Ring of Fire'.The 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the heart of the island near the near the Southern Highlands area, with tremors felt across the nearby region.at roughly 4am local time (6pm GMT).It is currently unclea rif any damage or injuries were cause by the substantial siesmic event.Papua New Ginuea rests on the so-called 'Ring of Fire' - a hotbed of seismic activity surrounding a tectonic plate that spans the pacific.The quake follows another seismic event in Japan, where a 5.5 magintude earthquake struck just hours before.Despite the magintude of the huge quake, officials have confirmed there is no risk of a resultant tsunami.A statement from the US' Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said: "An Earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 occurred in New Guinea, Papua New Guinea at 1745 UTC on Sunday February 25, 2018."Based on all available data, there is no Tsunami threat from this earthquake."</s>SYDNEY — A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake has struck 96 kilometers south-west of Mendi in the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea, the US Geological Survey reported on Monday.

The earthquake, which occurred at 1744 GMT Sunday, was determined to be at 6.149 degrees south latitude and 142.766 degrees east longitude at a depth of 35 km.

At this stage, there have been no fatalities reported in the township of around 50,000 people. However, Don Blakeman from the US Geological Survey told media that significant damage was very likely.

“Any geologic situation like steep valleys or any type of construction, buildings, mines, that sort of thing, since this is a shallow earthquake it shakes all of that a lot more,” he said.

“Landslides are a lot more common and should be expected.”

No tsunami warning has been issued at this time. Xinhua-northboundasia.com</s>Powerful aftershocks continue to rock Papua New Guinea after a magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck the country's southern highlands.

The quake hit in the early hours of this morning at a relatively shallow depth of 35 kilometres.

The epicentre was about 96 kilometres south-west of Mendi, the capital of Southern Highlands province, a town of more than 50,000 people.

Chief Secretary to Government Ambassador Isaac Lupari said in a statement that disaster assessment teams had been sent to parts of the Southern Highlands Province and Hela Province.

"The National Disaster Centre is working with provincial authorities to assess any damage and impacts on service delivery in the area," his statement said.

Mr Lupari said it is important that people are aware of the dangers of earthquake aftershocks.

"It is advisable to stay out of multi-story buildings, to be aware of the potential of landslides, and to be prepared to move to open ground in the event that an aftershock is felt."

Brisbane miner Derek Schock, who is based in the nearby Star Mountains, had never been in an earthquake before and was awoken by the tremors.

"We get a lot of rain and storms so initially I thought it was just another heavy rain and wind gust.

Mr Schock said the tremors lasted up to 40 seconds.

"I was going to get under the table as a precaution but it stopped. There were some smaller aftershocks," he said.

"There has been a significant landslide and the road is cut off."

The area where the earthquake struck is home to a number of oil and gas operations as well as coffee plantations.

ExxonMobil Corp has shut its Hides gas conditioning plant as a precaution to assess any damages to its facilities.

Chris McKee, acting director of geohazards management for the Papua New Guinea Government, said tens of thousands of people lived in the forested highlands region.

He said many people in the region had homes constructed with local materials that would likely hold up fairly well but more concerning was any heavy masonry used in industrial construction.

The highlands lie along an earthquake zone known as the Papuan Fold Belt, which is the fault responsible for the mountain range that forms the spine of the nation.

It is not clear yet if there are any casualties, but Don Blakeman from the US Geological Survey said significant damage was likely.

"Any geologic situation like steep valleys or any type of construction, [like] buildings, mines, that sort of thing, since this is a shallow earthquake it shakes all of that a lot more," he told the ABC.

The Geological Survey said there was no danger of a tsunami.</s>SYDNEY: A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea on Sunday, US seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The quake's epicentre was around 90 kilometres (55 miles) south of Porgera in Enga province, according to USGS, and hit at a depth of 35 kilometres.

USGS said some casualties and damage were possible and recent earthquakes in the area had caused tsunamis and landslides.

It said homes in the region were "a mix of vulnerable and earthquake resistant construction".

The impact should be relatively localised, it added.

Earthquakes are common in PNG, which sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.</s>A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea early Monday (local time), US seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The quake’s epicentre was around 90 kilometres (55 miles) south of Porgera in Enga province, according to USGS.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurs at the western Southern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, killing at least 31 people and injuring more than 300 others.