Papua New Guinea and Bali: severe earthquakes


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WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Severe earthquakes struck Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian island of Bali on Thursday, but no major damage has been reported in the immediate aftermath.

The earthquake in Papua has raised the possibility of a local tsunami, although authorities have stated that there is no significant tsunami threat in Hawaii or in the wider region of Papua. Peaceful.

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Papua New Guinea hit about 118 kilometers east of Kimbe, in western New Britain, in the Pacific island nation. It was followed by aftershocks of magnitude 5.7 and 5.9.

A little over an hour later, an earthquake measuring 6.3 magnitude struck further north-east of the island.

Oceanographer of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, David Walsh, said that any tsunami from the earthquake would only affect areas immediately around the epicenter.

Scientists do not have tide gauges close to the site of the earthquake and have not been able to tell if tsunamis have been generated.

Walsh said the more remote areas would probably not be affected because the earthquake was not "terribly big" and many sites are protected by masses of land and islands.

Earlier Thursday, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit the popular island of Bali, where the International Monetary Fund and its sister lending organization, the World Bank, hold annual meetings until Sunday. .

Some tourists and residents went outside as a precaution, then went back to sleep when there was no tsunami warning.

Indonesia is still shocked by an earthquake and tsunami on the island of Sulawesi, which claimed more than 2,000 lives. According to officials, more than 80,000 people live in temporary shelters or are displaced in some other way.

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