Strong M6.3 earthquake hits Papua New Guinea
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit Papua New Guinea at 07:35 UTC on October 8, 2020. The agency is reporting a depth of 103.5 km (64 miles). EMSC is reporting it as M6.3 at a depth of 112 km (69 miles).
The epicenter was located 38.7 km (24.0 miles) ENE of Kainantu (population 8 509), 86.6 km (53.7 miles) E of Goroka (population 18 503), and 107.4 km (66.6 miles) SSE of Madang (population 27 419), Papua New Guinea.
There are about 820 000 people living within 100 km (62 miles).
410 000 people are estimated to have felt moderate shaking and 2 684 000 light.
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 and liquefaction that might have contributed to losses.
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
Featured image credit: TW/SAM, Google
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