SYDNEY, Feb. 27 (SPUTNIK) — More than 30 people are feared dead in a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that shook Papua New Guinea on Monday, local media outlets reported.
More than 30 deaths have been reported, but the information has not been confirmed yet, Post Courier news outlet reported Tuesday, citing Hela Provincial Administrator William Bando.
Bando noted that the earthquake led to the appearance of landslides and sinkholes.
Over 300 people have been reportedly injured. Numerous properties have suffered damage and the electricity has been cut off in some of the affected areas. According to the United States Geological Survey, the epicenter of the quake was located 89 kilometers (55 miles) south-west of Porgera at the depth of 35 kilometers.
Papua New Guinea is a part of the so-called "Ring of Fire" — a string of volcanoes encircling the Pacific Ocean. It is a seismically active zone and thus it regularly suffers from earthquakes.