Papua New Guinea rocked by 6.4 magnitude quake

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea, officials said, but no Pacific-wide tsunami warning was issued.The tremor hit at a depth of 46 kilometres (28 miles) near the sparsely-populated New Ireland region, 110 kilometres southeast of the town Kokopo, the United States Geological Survey said.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center ruled



out a widespread tsunami and Geoscience Australia estimated any damage would only be within a 49-kilometre radius.

Earthquakes are common near Papua New Guinea, which lies on the 4,000-kilometre-long Pacific Australia plate.It forms part of the "Ring of Fire", a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.