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A major 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit New Britain, an island in Papua New Guinea, on Thursday, briefly triggering a tsunami warning before the authorities gave the go-ahead.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake affected about 125 kilometers east of Kimbe, at a depth of about 40 km.
There was a series of smaller tremors reaching 6.2 just before and after the main earthquake, which struck at 6:48 am (8:48 pm Wednesday).
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned that dangerous waves of tsunami were possible in coastal areas 300 km from the epicenter.
He then revised his forecasts by stating: "Based on all available data, the threat of the tsunami caused by this earthquake has now disappeared".
A spokesman for PNG's National Disaster Management Office in Port Moresby said that there were no immediate reports of damage from the earthquake, but that they had usually took several hours to reach the capital after a major jolt.
Chris McKee, deputy director at the PNM Geophysical Observatory in Port Moresby, said the quake was probably less intense than the original reports suggested.
"We believe that the magnitude is very high, not 7.3 as suggested by some reports, and the depth is between 50 and 70 km," he told AFP.
"In these settings and at this depth, we do not expect a tsunami to be generated."
McKee said attempts were made to contact local agencies in New Britain to verify whether the earthquake had caused damage.
The USGS website said that there was a "low probability of casualties and damage" following the earthquake.
PNG is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.
The country is still recovering from the magnitude 7.5 earthquake that struck its mountainous interior in February, killing at least 125 people, cutting off access to villages and cutting off electricity.
Its distant terrain means that it often takes several days for information about the damage caused by earthquakes to reach authorities and aid agencies.
