Papua New Guinea: Magnitude-5.3 offshore earthquake occurs near D'Entrecasteaux Islands at around 06:40 Oct. 16

A magnitude-5.3 offshore earthquake occurred near Papua New Guinea's D'Entrecasteaux Islands at around 06:40 Oct. 16. The epicenter was about 146 km (91 miles) northeast of Samarai, Papua New Guinea. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking may have been felt on some of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands and in surrounding areas. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; 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.