Papua New Guinea: Magnitude 6.5 offshore earthquake strikes the Bismarck Sea at around 07:46 Nov. 28 /update 1

A magnitude-6.5 earthquake occurred in the Bismarck Sea off the northern coast of East Sepik Province at around 07:46 Nov. 28. The epicenter was about 39 km (24 miles) east of Wewak, Papua New Guinea. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 8 km (5 miles), and moderate-to-strong shaking was probably felt in northern and eastern Papua New Guinea. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is possible. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light to moderate 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