PNG: Magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurs in the Solomon Sea July 1

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in the Solomon Sea to the southeast of New Britain Island at around 20:16 July 1. The epicenter was about 199 km (123 miles) southeast of Kokopo, East New Britain Province. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 41 km (25 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of central and eastern East New Britain Province, southern New Ireland Province, and northern and central Autonomous Region of Bougainville. 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. 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.