Papua New Guinea: Magnitude-5.4 offshore earthquake occurs near Madang Province at around 07:53 Nov. 10

A magnitude-5.4 offshore earthquake occurred in the Bismarck Sea off the coast of northeastern Madang Province at around 07:53 Nov. 10. The epicenter was about 28.9 km (17.9 miles) south-southeast of Madang City. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 64 km (40 miles), and light-to-moderate shaking was probably felt throughout northeastern and eastern Papua New Guinea. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties; significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are likely over the coming days.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.