At least five people They were killed and several others seriously injured when a massive 7.6-magnitude earthquake shook Papua New Guinea, damaging buildings and causing landslides. on Sunday.
Population in Northern towns close to the epicenter reported severe mid-morning tremors that cracked roads and shook the cladding. off buildings.
Local member of parliament Casey Sawang said at least two people he died in remote mountain villages, with Four others were airlifted to hospital in critical condition.
“There has been extensive damage,” she told AFP, adding that a landslide was buried homes and “split” one a village in which people “They lost their homes.”
In the nearby city of Wau, the Kuranga placer-mining company said three miners were buried alive.
There are limited connections in The areaa little government Resources and few paved roads, making assessment and rescue efforts difficult.
Small airlines and missionary groups participated in move some of The wounded cross a rugged forest.
“It’s very difficult, terrain weather. “It’s a challenge,” said Nellie Bomay. of Manolos Aviation, which quoted one person out And he was trying to come back.
In the town of the Eastern Highlands of Goroka, the people took pictures of falling window awnings off cracked walls of local university.
Hevi Abukor, a worker at the Jes Abyan resort near the coastal city, said the place was “very strong”. of Madang.
“Everything was like sitting on Sea – just floating.”
The quake was felt as far as the capital, Port Moresby, 480 km away.
The USGS initially released a tsunami warning for near coastal areas, but later said the threat was over.
But the frightened locals near the sea fled nonetheless for higher Ground – Reporting that the water level drops suddenly.
‘particle’
The nation’s leader, James Marab, said the earthquake was “enormous” and was told people Exercise caution, but said he expects damage to be less from the 2018 earthquake and series of Aftershocks, which killed an estimated 150 people.
However, the size of damage and number of The number of victims of Sunday’s earthquake is still unclear.
“National and regional disaster agencies, as well as leaders, have been asked to assess damage and casualties people And bring to those like soon as such possibleMarib said.
State-backed telecoms company Dataco said it was experiencing “multiple service disruptions” to the process of Subsea local communications cable in addition to the PIPE Pacific 1 cable that runs From Sydney to Guam.
not yet clear If there is any damage to the regional airports.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of of 61 kilometers, which is about 67 kilometers from the city of Kainantu, according to the USGS.
Papua New Guinea sitting on pacific ring of A fire ’caused it experience frequent earthquakes;
Earlier Sunday, the USGS also Two strong earthquakes have been reported in The remote Mentawai Islands off West Coast of Sumatra in neighboring Indonesia.