6.2 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Papua New Guinea

AFP/APP
Port Moresby: A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the northern coast of Papua New Guinea on Thursday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The tremor was centered approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles) east of Vanimo, a town currently preparing to host Pope Francis over the weekend.
A photographer in Wewak, the provincial capital, reported no significant damage in the immediate aftermath of the quake. Papua New Guinea frequently experiences earthquakes as it sits on the “Ring of Fire,” a highly active seismic zone that extends across Southeast Asia and the Pacific basin.
While earthquakes in the region typically cause minimal damage due to the sparse population, they can sometimes trigger dangerous landslides.
Pope Francis, who arrived in Indonesia earlier this week as part of a 12-day tour, will visit Papua New Guinea on Friday. He is scheduled to make a brief stop in Vanimo, a remote coastal town near the border with Indonesia, during his three-night stay in the country.