6.6 Magnitude Earthquake Reported

A 6.6-magnitude earthquake was reported in Papua New Guinea on Tuesday (October 7), according to the United States Geological Survey.

The earthquake was centered about 16 miles west-southwest of Lae at a depth of 99.4 kilometers (about 62 miles). The USGS said it received 55 confirmed reports of people having felt the earthquake, while Lae police official Mildred Ongige told Reuters that a "very huge" earthquake was felt within the city, which has an estimated population exceeding 76,000.

"It was a few minutes ago so we have no further details of damage but we are concerned," she added.

There weren't any immediate local reports of significant damage caused by the earthquake at the time of publication Tuesday morning. A tsunami warning wasn't issued for Papua New Guinea after the earthquake struck.

"An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 occurred in the eastern New Guinea region, Papua New Guinea at 9:05 p.m. CHST on Tuesday, October 7, 2025," a Tsunami.gov statement reads. "Based on all available data...there is no tsunami threat to Guam...Rota...Tinian or Saipan from this earthquake."

Papua New Guinea is part of the 'Ring of Fire' region where earthquakes commonly occur in the Pacific. The country has reportedly had two earthquakes reported within the past 24 hours; six within the past seven days; 20 within the past 30 days; and 402 within the last 365 days, according to EarthquakeTrack.com.