Strong earthquake rattles Papua New Guinea, but there is no tsunami alert or reports of damage

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Authorities say a strong magnitude 6.5 earthquake has struck Papua New Guinea, but there is no tsunami alert or immediate report of damage. The U.S. Geological Survey said in a statement the quake struck the South Pacific Island nation 110 kilometers (68 miles) southeast of the West New Britain provincial capital Kimbe at a depth of 68 kilometers (42 miles). The U.S. Tsunami Warning System says there is no tsunami alert. Papua New Guinea sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where much of the world’s earthquake and volcanic activity occurs.