REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SYDNEY -- Papua New Guinea was rocked by a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 on Monday and authorities have issued a tsunami warning for nearby areas.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the town of Rabaul in the north east of PNG was the epicenter of the quake.
"Hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1,000 km of the earthquake epicentre along the coasts of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands", the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said.
The PNG cities Kokopo, with a population of 26,000 and Rabaul with 8,000 people were the closest to the quake epicenter.
According to people living in Rabaul, there was no sign of damage from the earthquake.
Joe Tamlik, a safety officer at Rabaul airport, said flights were landing as scheduled.
"We are still on the ground performing our duties," Tamlik told Fairfax Media.
The USGS said tsunami waves up to three-meters high were possible along some parts of Papua New Guinea.
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