Strong M6.4 earthquake hits Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
A strong earthquake, registered by the USGS as M6.4, hit the Bougainville region of Papua New Guinea at 20:13 UTC on September 1, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 49 km (30.4 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.4 at a depth of 53 km (32.9 miles).
The epicenter was located 58.2 km (36.2 miles) S of Panguna (population 2 916), and 68 km (42.2 miles) S of Arawa (population 40 266), Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.
71 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 69 000 moderate, and 225 000 light.
Based on all available data, there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake, NWS PTWC said.
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.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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