Papua New Guinea: Magnitude-5.2 offshore earthquake occurs in South Pacific Ocean Jan. 13

A magnitude-5.2 earthquake occurred in the South Pacific Ocean, near eastern Papua New Guinea, at around 20:08 Jan. 13. The epicenter was approximately 161 km (99 miles) east of Kokopo. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and weak shaking was probably felt in parts of eastern Papua New Guinea. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and 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. 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 where shaking occurred.