A powerful earthquake with a 7.6 Richter scale has struck Papua New Guinea.
A Major Earthquake
Although it was concentrated in a far-off region of the island nation, the earthquake was felt throughout the entire country.
According to the authorities, at least three people have died, numerous more have been hurt, and major damage has been done to various sections of the nation.
The three earthquake victims perished as a result of a landslide that struck the gold mining town of Wau.
The country’s dispersed population and absence of huge structures close to the earthquake’s centre, according to Charley Masange, disaster director of Papua New Guinea’s Morobe region, may have prevented a worse catastrophe.
Given the magnitude of the enormous earthquake, many more people may have perished if it had struck a region that was more heavily populated.
Additionally, since communications are thought to have been impacted, and some phone masts are probably among the damage, it’s probable that the initial scope of the damage is unknown.
Geologist Renagi Ravu said locals were unnerved by the interruption and that she herself lives 41 miles from the epicentre.
It is common for earthquakes to be felt in this area, but they often don’t stay as long or be as violent as this one, which was extremely intense, he told the AP news agency.
They have begun to clean up the streets and their homes.
It is still too early to determine the entire degree of damage from an earthquake of this size, but seismologist Felix Taranu stated that it “most definitely caused major damage.”
Cracked roads and wrecked cars were a recurring theme in the photographs of the devastation posted on social media by locals to demonstrate the effects of the earthquake.
Because of its proximity to the “Ring of Fire,” a fissure in the Pacific Ocean’s ocean floor where tectonic plates collide, Papua New Guinea is particularly prone to earthquakes.
People who live there are more susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis due to geographical characteristics.
Fortunately, no tsunami is anticipated to occur in the wake of this 7.6 magnitude earthquake, which will provide some little solace to those who have already been harmed.
