Powerful 7.8-Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Papua New Guinea, Region 'More Active Than Usual,' Says Official

A strong magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea on Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The tremor hit at 1:04 GMT and was centered 75 kilometers, or 47 miles, southwest of the town of Panguna on Bouganville Island, a province of Papua New Guinea with a population of about 175,000 people. The earthquake hit at a depth of 31 kilometers. Geoscience Australia said shaking was probably felt within a wide radius with localized damage possible.