5.2-Magnitude Quake Hits off Northern Papua New Guinea Coast

An earthquake struck off the northern coast of Papua New Guinea.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — An earthquake measuring 5.3 magnitude struck overnight off the northern coast of Papua New Guinea, the United States Geological Survey said Sunday.

The quake was registered 59 kilometres (37 miles) northeast of the town of Vanimo, at the depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles).

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. A tsunami is not considered a a possibility.

The Pacific island nation is located in the so-called Ring of Fire quake zone. It has been hit in the past by devastating earthquakes, most notably in July 1998 when a quake led to an undersea landslide and a tsunami, killing mover 2,200 people.