Big New Guinea quake trips tsunami alert

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea, July 18 (UPI) -- A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake rocked Papua New Guinea Sunday, triggering a tsunami alert although no waves were immediately seen, seismologists said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said in a written statement the quake was centered 170 miles southwest of Rabul in the New Britain area and at a depth of 57 kilometers (35.4 miles).

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a statement saying sea-level readings indicated a tsunami had been generated. There were, however, no reports of destructive waves hitting shore.