5.9 magnitude earthquake hits Papua New Guinea's New Britain region

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) – A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck the New Britain region of Papua New Guinea on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said.

The earthquake occurred at 1633GMT, 71 kilometers (about 44 miles) east of Kokopo, the capital of East New Britain province.

The earthquake's epicenter was initially identified at 4.21 degrees south latitude and 152.89 degrees east longitude, at a depth of 10 kilometers (nearly 6.2 miles), according to the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or structural damage.