Moderate 5.8-magnitude quake strikes Papua New Guinea: USGS

Sydney: A moderate 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea early today, US seismologists said.

The quake struck at 9 am local time at a depth of 10 kilometres, 70 kilometres southwest of the nearest city of Ialibu, the United States Geological Survey said.

Earthquakes are common in PNG, which sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.