Strong earthquakes strike off Papua New Guinea; no tsunami or reports of casualties

Strong earthquakes strike off Papua New Guinea

SYDNEY — Two strong earthquakes struck off the South Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea late Sunday, a U.S. monitor said. There were no immediate reports of casualty or damage.

The first quake, a magnitude 6.9, struck around 11 p.m. local time 325 miles (525 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Port Morseby. It struck 35 miles (57 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The second, a magnitude 7.3, struck a half-hour later in the same area, at a depth of 31 miles (50 kilometers).

Indonesia issued a tsunami warning but lifted it soon after. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue an alert.

The archipelago nation is part of the Pacific Ocean’s “ring of fire,” where earthquakes of this magnitude are relatively common.