The death toll from the “significant” earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea on Sunday has risen to seven, the Pacific island nation’s police commissioner said, adding that it struck deep underground and contained damage. An initial magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit the Markham Valley at 9:46 a.m. on Sunday, followed by a 5.0-magnitude earthquake 70 km to the north an hour later, Police Commissioner David Manning said in a statement on Monday. read more The two earthquakes were reported at a depth of 90 kilometers and 101 kilometers underground, he said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up Significant damage to buildings and roads and landslides were reported in Morobe, Eastern Highlands and Madang provinces, he said. “Unfortunately, seven people have been confirmed dead as a result of these landslides. Three in Kabwum District and three in Wau Town, Morobe Province and one in Rai Coast, Madang Province,” he said. “It was a significant earthquake, but it happened deep below ground level and that meant the damage was less than if the epicenter was closer to the surface,” he added. Manolos Aviation organized medical evacuations from Kombul village in Kabwum district. “Half the mountain is gone,” said Manolos Aviation PR manager Erebiri Zurenuoc, who was at the scene in Kobul. A National Command Center has been established by the government and a COVID-19 hotline has been redesigned to offer the public information on earthquake damage. The regional power grid, Internet cables, roads and highways were all damaged, Manning said. In Eastern Highlands province, there was damage to the University of Goroka and reports of injuries to students, he said. Engineers are assessing damage to the Yonki Dam that has caused power outages. In Madang province, there were many injuries as buildings and houses were destroyed and one death was reported on the Rai coast, he said. He warned of a significant risk of aftershocks. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up Reporting by Kirsty Needham and Lewis Jackson in Sydney. Edited by Ana Nicolaci da Costa Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
