By Edwin Fidelis – EMTV News, Kokopo
A 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit East New Britain province at around 5am this morning.
No damage to property or roads has been reported.
Senior Volcanologist, Ima Itikarai, at the Rabaul Volcano Observatory confirmed the earthquake to be tectonic related and not volcanic in nature.
This morning’s earth tremor was one of many that have continued to shake various parts of the New Guinea Islands region since last week.
Itikarai brushed off rumours of any possible volcanic eruption, stating that the series of earthquakes were a result of tectonic plate movements and not caused by volcanic activities.
The largest earthquake in the province measured 7.5 magnitudes in May 2015, and caused a landslip, damages to property and sparked a tsunami alert in the NGI region.
