A POWERFUL magnitude 6.9 earthquake has rattled Papua New Guinea, triggering a tsunami warning for coastal areas.

A shallow earthquake occurred approximately 120 miles to the east of Kimbe, a coastal town in Papua New Guinea’s New Britain region, at about 9:04 pm local time, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The epicentre was offshore, at a depth of just six miles, amplifying tsunami fears.

The USGS warned that parts of Papua New Guinea’s shoreline could be hit by waves ranging from one to three meters, while an additional advisory for the Solomon Islands noted the potential for waves reaching up to 0.3 meters.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, but authorities remain on high alert.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) recorded the quake’s magnitude at 7.1 and identified it as being deeper at 49 km, revealing minor differences in initial assessments.

New Britain, home to over 500,000 people, lies within the volatile Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a hotspot for seismic activity where tectonic plates constantly shift.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology and New Zealand authorities both confirmed no tsunami threat to their countries.

Emergency teams in Papua New Guinea are monitoring the situation as residents along the coast brace for potential aftershocks and rising waters.

It comes just days after a horror 7.7magnitude earthquake ripped through Myanmar, with tremors being felt all the way in Bangkok, Thailand.

The death toll rose Thursday to 3,145 as search and rescue teams found more bodies, the military-led government said, and humanitarian aid groups scrambled to provide survivors medical care and shelter.

Information Minister Maung Maung Ohn also announced at a meeting in the capital, Naypyitaw, that 4,589 people were injured and 221 others were missing, state television MRTV reported.

The epicenter of the 7.7 magnitude quake on March 28 was near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.

It brought down thousands of buildings, buckled roads and destroyed bridges in multiple regions.

Local media reports of casualties have been much higher than the official figures.

With telecommunications widely out and many places difficult to reach, the numbers could rise sharply as more details come in.

A report issued Thursday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that the earthquake and aftershocks have affected more than 17 million people across 57 of the country’s 330 townships, including more than 9 million who were severely affected.

“The coming days will be critical in determining the full scale of the disaster’s impact and the response required to meet the needs of millions affected,” it said.

The secretary-general appealed to the international community to immediately step up funding for quake victims “to match the scale of this crisis,” and urged unimpeded access to reach those in need.

“The earthquake has supercharged the suffering – with the monsoon season just around the corner,” he said.

The World Health Organisation said that according to its initial assessment, four hospitals and one health centre had been completely destroyed, while another 32 hospitals and 18 health centres had been partially damaged.

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