Strong earthquake hit Papua New Guinea, no damage reported

300

PORT MORESBY: A strong measuring magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on Tuesday of the town of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea, the US Geological Survey said.

 The tremors were felt around 150 km south of Rabaul.

A tsunami warning within 300 km of the epicenter issued after the quake.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued the warning but said that a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami reaching as far as Hawaii was not expected.

The quake, downgraded from an initial estimate of 7.5, struck around 0140 GMT at a depth of 63 km and was the latest in a series of strong tremors to hit the region.

Residents of the area told media that the quake was felt strongly in the city, with water splashing out of the swimming pool, but there were no immediate signs damage.