Quake in South Pacific prompts tsunami warnings

SYDNEY – A powerful earthquake struck near the South Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea today, prompting officials to warn that hazardous tsunami waves could affect some coastlines in the Pacific.

The magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck today at a depth of 40 miles, about 30 miles southeast of the town of Kokopo in northeastern Papua New Guinea, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous tsunami waves were possible for coasts located within 620 miles of Kokopo. That includes Papua New Guinea and the nearby Solomon Islands.

The tsunami warning center said tsunami waves reaching 3 to 10 feet were possible for Papua New Guinea’s coastlines.

Officials in the capital, Port Moresby, were working to contact their counterparts in the outer provinces, but there had been no reports of damage or injuries within an hour of the quake rattling the country, said Martin Mose, acting director for Papua New Guinea’s National Disaster Center.

No one had reported seeing any tsunami waves, he added.