Earthquake off Papua New Guinea coast, which lasted for about a minute. Photo: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/

“A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck on Saturday (April 12, 2025) off the coast of Papua New Guinea’s New Ireland province,” the United States Geological Survey said.

The quake struck at a depth of 72 km (44 miles) about 115 km southeast of the town of Kokopo.

Kokopo Beach Bungalow Resort receptionist Emonck Abelis said the earthquake lasted about a minute, but there was “no damage around the area”.

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits atop the seismic “Ring of Fire” – an arc of intense tectonic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Although they seldom cause widespread damage in sparsely populated areas, they can trigger destructive landslides.