The death toll from the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that shook northern Papua New Guinea on Sunday could be “higher”, according to the police commander of East Sepik province.
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At least five people were killed and around 1,000 houses destroyed by the earthquake that shook northern Papua New Guinea on Sunday, authorities announced on Monday March 25. But the results could turn out to be“higher”East Sepik province police commander Christopher Tamari told AFP.
The regional governor, Allan Bird, reported“around 1,000 houses lost”specifying that the emergency services were still “weighing the consequences” tremors which have “caused damage” almost everywhere in the province. Dozens of villages nestled on the banks of the Sepik River were already experiencing major flooding when the 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck, according to the USGS, the American geological survey. Photos taken after the earthquake showed wooden houses collapsing in floodwaters, rising to knee level.
Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which is located on the “ring of fire”, a zone of intense tectonic activity that extends from southeast Asia to the Pacific. Although they usually cause only limited damage in sparsely populated jungle highlands, they can cause destructive landslides. Many of the country’s nine million people live outside major cities, where difficult topography and a lack of safe roads can hamper search efforts.
