BREAKING: Magnitude-7.5 Earthquake Strikes off the Coast of Papua New Guinea; Tsunami Alert Issued

By Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

March 29,2015; 11:16PM,EDT

 

 

A magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck 34 miles (54 km) southeast of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea, on Monday morning, local time, (7:49 EDT Sunday), the U.S. Geological Survey reports.
The USGS initially reported the earthquake's magnitude as 7.7 with a depth of 25 miles (40 km).
Shortly after the earthquake occurred, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was the potential for dangerous tsunami waves to impact areas within 621 miles (1000 km) along the coasts of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
The tsunami threat has since passed, the warning center said. A 0.3-meter (1 foot) tsunami wave was recorded at Tarekukure Wharf, Papua New Guinea, about 450 km (280 miles) from the epicenter.
An official with Papua New Guinea's National Disaster Center said there have been no reports of damage, injuries or tsunami waves, according to the Associated Press.

  NWS Anchorage        ✔ @NWSAnchorage Follow

via NWS_NTWC: Tsunami Info Stmt: M7.6 in the New Britain region, PNG 1649PDT Mar 29: Tsunami NOT expected; CA,OR,WA,BC,and AK #NTWC

8:24 PM - 29 Mar 2015

In the Philippines, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a statement saying there is no tsunami threat to the country.
(Image/USGS)
In addition to the 7.5 quake, the USGS said four other earthquakes -- magnitudes 5.7, 5.0, 4.8, 4.7, respectively -- occurred south and southwest of Taron, Papua New Guinea, within three hours of the initial temblor.