6.9 earthquake shakes northern Papua in New Guinea

Published at: 25/03/2024 11:01 AM

Last Sunday, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook northern Papua, New Guinea, an area hit in recent weeks by torrential rains and floods. So far, 3 deaths have been registered.

The earthquake did not trigger the tsunami warning, and it occurred on Sunday at 07:22 (local time) at a depth of 35 kilometers.

The earthquake had its epicenter about 38 kilometers northeast of the town of Ambunti, in the province of East Sepik.

The earthquake claimed the lives of a woman and her daughter in the small town of Jikinumbu and injured two of the little girl's brothers, while another minor died in the remote town of Sotmeri, both in East Sepik, according to the Papuan newspaper Post Courier.

The Post Courier also indicated that the earthquake caused the collapse of some 93 houses in Sotmeri, Jukinumbu and the neighboring town of Korogu, as well as bridges and infrastructures that are key to this country rich in resources, with difficult geography and with almost 40% of its 10.5 million inhabitants living in poverty.

Mazo News Team