Papua New Guinea: Magnitude-5.2 offshore earthquake occurs east of Morobe Province at 13:48 May 16

A magnitude-5.2 offshore earthquake occurred in the Solomon Sea off Morobe Province at around 13:48 May 16. The epicenter was about 160 km (100 miles) east-southeast of Lae. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and weak-to-light shaking was probably felt in parts of eastern Morobe, northern Oro, and western West New Britain provinces. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are possible 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.