PNG: A magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurs south of New Britain Island at around 23:11 Dec. 12

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in the Solomon Sea off the south coast of New Britain Island at around 23:11 Dec. 12. The epicenter was about 114 km (71 miles) southeast of Kimbe, West New Britain Province. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of East New Britain and West New Britain provinces. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

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.