A 6.9 magnitude quake in Papua New Guinea kills 3 and destroys nearly 1,000 homes
Source: ABC News/AP
March 25, 2024, 3:42 AM
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea -- A magnitude 6.9 earthquake has hit a remote part of western Papua New Guinea killing at least three people and causing extensive damage to around 1,000 homes, officials said.
The quake rocked the East Sepik region at about 6.20 a.m. Sunday (2020 GMT Saturday) near the town of Ambunti, about 470 miles (756 kilometers) northwest of the capital of Port Moresby, and at a depth of 25 miles (about 40 kilometers), according to reports by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
East Sepik province Governor Allan Bird posted on Facebook Sunday that initial estimates show the earthquake had destroyed about 1,000 homes in the area which was already “dealing with widespread flooding” from earlier in March.
“The flooding actually covers an area more than 800 kilometers long, and so there’s about maybe 60 or 70 villages involved all along the Sepik River,” Bird told the ABC on Monday.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/69-magnitude-quake-remote-papua-new-guinea-kills-108460676
