A strong aftershock has followed this evening’s major quake in the Solomon Sea.
Friday, 11th April 2014
A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.5 struck 78 km south-west of Panguna, 91 km south-west of Arawa, Papua New Guinea at 8:17 this evening New Zealand time; according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The large quake followed an earlier magnitude 7.1 earthquake in the same area at 7:07 p.m. New Zealand time.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre reports the quake as magnitude 6.8 at a depth of 49 km. In a bulletin issued at 8:26 this evening, it advised that a destructive widespread tsunami threat did not exist.
Geoscience Australia reports the earthquake as magnitude 6.9 at a depth of 100 km. It estimates that the quake would have caused damage to areas within 90 km of the epicentre, and would have been felt up to 1100 km away.