6.2-magnitude quake hits off Papua New Guinea

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea Monday, the US Geological Survey said, but no Pacific-wide tsunami warning was issued.

The shallow tremor struck in waters near the sparsely populated New Britain island, 450 kilometres (280 miles) northeast of the capital Port Moresby, the agency reported.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a widespread tsunami warning.

New Britain, the largest island of the Bismarck Archipelago, is east of mainland New Guinea and has a population of around 500,000.

It lies on the 4,000-kilometre Pacific-Australia plate, which forms part of the “Ring of Fire”, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.