7.2-magnitude quake rattles Papua New Guinea

SYDNEY, Australia – A powerful earthquake has rattled the South Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea, and a local tsunami is possible.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the 7.2-magnitude quake struck Thursday about 150 kilometres (94 miles) southwest of the town of Panguna on Bougainville Island.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous tsunami waves were possible within 300 kilometres (186 miles) of the epicenter on the coasts of the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

The earthquake was 10 kilometres (6 miles) deep.

The archipelago sits on the Ring of Fire, the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes are common.