A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea just after midnight local time Wednesday morning, jarring an area that's still recovering from a 7.5 tremor in late February.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake
struck at 12:13 a.m. local time Wednesday morning (9:13 a.m. EST Tuesday morning) about 70 miles southwest of Porgera. The temblor struck at a depth of about 20 miles and was located about 20 miles southwest of the Feb. 26 quake, which
killed at least 67 people, according to the
Guardian.It wasn't immediately known if the latest earthquake caused additional damage or injuries. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said it
did not expect a tsunami to be generated from the quake.
Prior to Wednesday's tremor, aid groups were
rushing to get supplies to villages as aftershocks from the Feb. 26 quake remained frequent, Reuters reported. But it was a tough task, as remote areas remained difficult to reach due to the widespread damage and rough terrain.
"The logistics are still a massive problem," CARE Australia aid worker Anna Bryan told Reuters.
Officials estimated 150,000 people were in need of aid following the large earthquake, and residents continue to flee their homes every time the ground shakes, fearing structural collapse.
"Mothers and children are so traumatized," United Church project officer James Komengi told Reuters. "Even my own children are refusing to sleep in our house. Every little movement scares them."
Comment: Update - 7th of March, 2018:Reuters reports:
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Papua New Guinea's mountainous Southern Highlands on Wednesday killing at least 18 people, an official said, a week after a larger quake flattened villages and killed at least 55 people.
The tremor, shortly after midnight local time, struck just 31 km (19 miles) southwest of the epicentre of last Monday's magnitude 7.5 quake that has left government and aid agencies scrambling to provide emergency supplies to the remote region.
Australia and New Zealand said on Wednesday they would increase aid to Papua New Guinea.
Australia will deploy three helicopters this week to deliver aid, while New Zealand will send a second military plane to distribute medical equipment, hygiene kits and tarpaulins.
Wednesday's quake was the most severe of a series of aftershocks that have rattled the resource-rich region, about 600 km (370 miles) northwest of the capital Port Moresby.
William Bando, the administrator of Hela Province, said initial reports put the death toll from the aftershock at 18.
"It appears Hides was hardest hit. We haven't heard about potential casualties there yet, but it is a big village with many people," he added.
Manasseh Makiba, Papua New Guinea's Vice Minister for Petroleum & Energy who represents parts of Hela Province in parliament, said victims were still being found.
"People are still being extracted from mud. People are still being taken to hospitals," he said.
Local media outlets reported the death toll from the original quake had risen to 75, after government officials said previously that 55 people had been killed.
A spokeswoman at Papua New Guinea's National Disaster Centre said on Wednesday that authorities were finalising a final report into the casualties from the first quake.
James Komengi, a United Church project officer, speaking from Tari, the capital of quake-affected Hela province, said his church's assessment and response centre had counted up to 67 deaths in that province alone.
Aid efforts are being hampered as rescue workers struggle to reach the highlands area as many roads are either badly damaged or blocked.
The International Red Cross warned the situation could deteriorate if heavy rains hit the region.
"We are anxious to reach communities while there is a lull in what is usually a season of heavy rain. A big downpour could bring landslides in hillsides already destabilised by the earthquake, cause floods and contaminate water," said Udaya Regmi, Director the International Red Cross in Papua New Guinea.
The Red Cross said its initial assessments indicate that as many as 143,000 people could have been affected, with an estimated 500 people injured and 17,000 people displaced from their homes. Even in more accessible areas of the country, health facilities have been damaged.
ExxonMobil, which shut its $19 billion PNG liquefied natural gas (LNG) project after the first quake, said on Wednesday its facilities in Hides, where it runs a gas conditioning plant, were safely shut in. All employees and contractors were safe.
See also:
Huge earthquake strikes Ring of Fire: Papua New Guinea hit by shallow 7.5 magnitude quake - at least 75 dead (UPDATE)
Comment: Update - 7th of March, 2018:
Reuters reports: See also: Huge earthquake strikes Ring of Fire: Papua New Guinea hit by shallow 7.5 magnitude quake - at least 75 dead (UPDATE)