Earthquake strikes Papua New Guinea

KOKOPO, Papua New Guinea, May 1 (UPI) -- A 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Papua New Guinea, an island chain north of Australia, was recorded Friday, accompanied by a strong aftershock and a tsunami warning.

The quake's epicenter was 70 miles north of Kokopo, the capital. No reports of damage or injury, from the quake or the 7.1-magnitude aftershock, were immediately reported, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning that a "hazardous tsunami" was possible within 186 miles of the epicenter. That alert has been lifted.

A 6.9-magnitude quake struck Thursday as well.

"This is another thrust earthquake, which is the same sort of fault movement as occurred in the earthquake in Nepal. In this case, it is an ocean plate - the Solomon Sea is being pushed underneath New Britain (Island, part of Papua New Guinea)) - and it is a very active seismic zone ... it's produced much larger earthquakes than this one we've had," Dr. Roger Musson of the British Geological Survey told Sky News. Rabaul, the nearest populated area to the epicenter, is on New Britain Island. The city was destroyed 21 years ago by the eruption of the volcano Mt. Tavurvur.