A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea on Sunday (September 11), damaging several buildings, causing landslides to occur and claiming the lives of five people, and injuring several others. The earthquake was felt as far as the capital city of Port Moresby, located nearly 480 kilometres (300 miles).
Out of panic, the residents living close to the sea retreated to higher land while reporting that the water level had unexpectedly decreased.
Residents in a northern community reported intense shaking that shook buildings. Two people died in the region. Similarly, Koranga Alluvial Mining reported that three miners had been buried alive in Wau.
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In conversation with AFP, Kessy Sawang, local MP, said that the landslide divided houses in a village, leading to people losing their houses.
Assessment and resource attempts are challenging because there are very few paved roads, government roads, and minimal connectivity in the area.
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An individual in Madang, a coastal town, described the quake as “extremely strong” and said that it appeared as if everything was floating on the sea.
The US Geological Survey declared that the threat had been overcome after initially issuing a tsunami warning for surrounding coastal areas.
The president of the country, James Marape, described the natural calamity as “massive” and urged citizens to exercise caution, although he added that he anticipated less damage than the earthquake, which killed nearly 150 people.
However, the figures aren’t confirmed yet as to how much damage or fatalities have been reported.
Due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” Papua New Guinea frequently experiences earthquakes.
(With inputs from agencies)
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