PNG: A magnitude-5.2 offshore earthquake occurs southwest of West New Britain Province at around 17:25 April 7

A magnitude-5.2 earthquake occurred in the Solomon Sea off the southwest coast of PNG's West New Britain Province at around 17:25 April 7. The epicenter was about 43 km (27 miles) southwest of Kandrian, West New Britain Province. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 56 km (34 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of West New Britain Province, and eastern Morobe 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.