At least five people were killed and several households were damaged after a large earthquake hit Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Sunday. An earthquake measuring 7.6 struck at a depth of 90 kilometers near Kainantu City.
While the level of damage is still unclear, the video shared on social media shows a cracked road, damaged cars and debris scattered on the highway.
Watch the video below:
According to Ani, the earthquake also triggered a landslide. Power outages are too reported in several parts of PNG, with a spacious shock in the country from the cities near the earthquake to the capital of Port Moresby.
PNG Prime Minister, James Marape, stated that the earthquake was “big” and ordered people to be careful. He added that the national and provincial disaster institutions, as well as leaders, had been asked to assess the scale of damage and injury to people.
Separately, the United Nations informed that people were injured by falling structures or debris, and there was damage to several health centers, houses, rural roads, and highways.
Papua New Guinea is vulnerable to earthquakes because it is located along the “ring of fire” in the Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes of the same size that hit the country’s highlands in 2018 killed more than 60 people, destroying houses, causing landslides and damaged the main gas factory. In accordance with Ani, there are around 22 7.5 large earthquakes recorded in New Guinea since 1900.