Magnitude 7.5 quake hits off Papua New Guinea, prompts tsunami threat

A shallow magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck close to the remote New Britain island of Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey said, triggering a tsunami warning for parts of the Pacific.

The offshore quake hit around 33 km (20 miles) east of the town of Rabaul at a depth of around 10 km at 1058 p.m. local time (1258 GMT), the USGS said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in the area.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 1,000 km of the quake's epicentre along the coasts of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

A 7.5 quake hit Papua New Guinea some 900 km further west in February, killing at least 100 people.