Papua New Guinea: Magnitude-5.4 offshore earthquake occurs in Bismarck Sea at around 11:47 Jan. 3 /update 1

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake occurred in the Bismarck Sea near East New Britain province at around 11:47 Jan. 3. The epicenter was approximately 62 km (39 miles) northwest of Rabaul. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and weak-to-light shaking was probably felt in parts of East New Britain and New Ireland provinces. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties; significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. This earthquake is likely an aftershock of the magnitude-5.0 earthquake that occurred at around 01:57 Jan. 3. Additional 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.