Shallow M6.3 earthquake hits off the coast of Bougainville Island, P.N.G.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit off the coast of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea at 02:53 UTC (12:53 LT) on April 25, 2020. The agency is reporting a depth of 17 km (10.5 miles).
The epicenter was located 132.7 km (82.3 miles) W of Panguna, 143.4 km (88.9 miles) WSW of Arawa and 328.9 km (203.9 miles) SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea.
There are about 7 000 people living within 100 km (62 miles).
198 000 people are estimated to have felt light shaking.
Image credit: Google, TW/SAM
The USGS issued a green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are informal (metal, timber, GI etc.) and unreinforced brick masonry construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.
Image credit: USGS
Featured image credit: Google, TW/SAM
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