Earthquake rattles Papua New Guinea; no damage

Sydney: A strong earthquake has struck the South Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea. There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries and no tsunami alert has been issued.

The US Geological Survey says the magnitude- 7.0 quake struck on Tuesday at a depth of 200 kilometers (124 miles), about 140 kilometers (88 miles) north of the city of Lae.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami alert.

Papua New Guinea's Geophysical Observatory says the quake was felt as far as the capital Port Moresby, but there were no reports of damage.

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea. The country lies on the "Ring of Fire" - an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around the Pacific Rim.

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