Shallow M6.2 earthquake hits near the coast of New Guinea, PNG
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.2 hit near the coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea at 01:03 UTC on September 5, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
The epicenter was located 67.3 km (41.8 miles) NNE of Angoram (population 1 604) and 69.1 km (42.9 miles) E of Wewak (population 18 230), East Sepik, Papua New Guinea.
3 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 119 000 moderate, and 590 000 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 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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