Strong earthquake rattles Papua New Guinea, but there is no tsunami alert or reports of damage

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A strong magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Papua New Guinea on Monday, authorities said, but there was no tsunami alert or immediate reports of damage.

The quake struck the South Pacific Island nation 110 kilometers (68 miles) southeast of the West New Britain provincial capital Kimbe at a depth of 68 kilometers (42 miles) shortly before 7 a.m. local time (21:00 GMT), the U.S. Geological Survey said in a statement.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no tsunami alert.

Papua New Guinea sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where much of the world’s earthquake and volcanic activity occurs.