PNG: A magnitude-5.5 offshore earthquake occurs west of Bougainville at around 02:27 Dec. 9

A magnitude-5.5 earthquake occurred west of Bougainville in the Solomon Sea at around 02:27 BST Dec. 9. The epicenter was about 239 km (149 miles) west of Panguna, Bougainville. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of Bougainville, East New Britain Province, and southern New Ireland Province. 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.