Strong M6.1 earthquake hits New Britain, Papua New Guinea
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit the New Britain region, Papua New Guinea at 22:39 UTC on September 2, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 126 km (78 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 119 km (74 miles).
The epicenter was located 111.8 km (69.5 miles) WNW of Kandrian (population 1 014) and 160.4 km (99.6 miles) W of Kimbe (population 18 847), West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
9 000 people are estimated to have felt moderate shaking and 545 000 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.
Regional seismicity
Featured image credit: TW/SAM, Google
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