6.4 quake hits New Britain

A STRONG 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck parts of New Guinea Islands on Monday night.
Seismologists said there was no danger of a tsunami.
The PNG geophysical office in Port Moresby and the US Geological Survey said yesterday the quake hit at 10.26pm at a depth of 50km, about 221km southeast of Rabaul, East New Britain province.
Lawrence Anton, an officer at the observatory, said the earthquake was felt moderately in Rabaul at intensity MM5 and could also have been felt in southern New Ireland.
Some people in ENB also confirmed they were awakened by the earthquake on Monday night.
He said it was unlikely that a tsunami would have been generated by the earthquake.
There were no reports of damages in the region caused by the earthquake.
Geoscience Australia gave the quake a preliminary magnitude of 6.0.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says there were no tsunami warnings or advisories in effect following the quake.
Quakes of such magnitude are common in the New Britain region of Papua New Guinea, which sits on the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.
A 6.7-magnitude jolt hit PNG last month but there were no reports of damage.