Earthquake of magnitude 6.9 strikes Papua New Guinea, tsunami alert issued

A strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit the New Britain region of Papua New Guinea early Saturday morning, triggering a tsunami warning for the Pacific island nation. The earthquake hit at 01:34:43 IST on April 5, 2025, and its epicenter was 194 km southeast of Kimbe, the capital of West New Britain province. 

Earthquake details

•  Magnitude: 6.9
• Depth: 10 km
•  Epicenter: 6.23 degrees south latitude and 151.64 degrees east longitude
• Region: New Britain Region, Papua New Guinea

Tsunami warning

A warning of tsunami danger was released by the US Tsunami Warning Center for the Pacific island nation, indicating, "Hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts." The National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also released a danger of tsunami, with 3-meter high waves predicted along the coast of Papua New Guinea ¹.

Aftershocks

A much smaller earthquake, with an initial reading of 5.3, struck nearly the same location about 30 minutes later, according to the USGS.

Impact

There are no early reports of damage or injury. Officials are keeping a close watch, and locals in the affected areas are warned to be on guard against aftershocks.

Papua New Guinea's seismic activity

Papua New Guinea is seismically active as it lies close to the Pacific Ring of Fire. The nation has had a 10-year average of 750 earthquakes with a magnitude of four and above.