Papua New Guinea: Magnitude-5.4 offshore earthquake occurs in Bismarck Sea, northwest of Kokopo, East New Britain Province, at around 17:06 Jan. 2

A magnitude-5.4 offshore earthquake occurred in the Bismarck Sea at around 17:06 Jan. 2. The epicenter was about 91 km (57 miles) northwest of Kokopo, East New Britain Province. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt in parts of East New Britain, New Ireland, West New Britain provinces, and Bougainville Autonomous Region. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties; 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.