The quake hit around three kilometres (two miles) off the west coast of the the island of New Britain, at 1:09 am (1509 GMT
today) at a depth of 192 kilometres (119 miles), the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Papua New Guinea, which is mired in poverty despite rich mineral deposits, sits on the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a hotspot for
seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.