Moderate 5.8-magnitude quake strikes Papua New Guinea

SYDNEY – A moderate 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea early Tuesday, US seismologists said.

The quake struck at 9 am local time (2300 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) 70 kilometres southwest of the nearest city of Ialibu, the United States Geological Survey said.

Earthquakes are common in PNG, which sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.