6.8 earthquake: Guinea earthquake could trigger tsunami
The powerful quake hit approximately 19 kilometers east of Aitape, but left no immediate reports of damages or injuries. Chris McKee, the assistant director of the Geophysical Observatory in the capital, Port Moresby stated that witnesses in Vanimo, about 89 miles from the epicenter also reported strong quakes in the region.
According to Yahoo News, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center observed that earthquakes of this size sometimes trigger local tsunamis within 100 kilometers of the epicenter. The Center issued a warning that “Authorities in the region should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action.” Geoscience Australia estimated that about 60,000 people would be in the exposure zone, which according to seismologist Steve Tatham, includes “outlying local villages.” Tatham told AFP News that any tsunami could cause “considerable damage.”
“At this stage we have heard nothing about the effect but it is quite large and there would have been a high level of shaking. There is the possibility of considerable damage. It certainly could bring buildings down.”
Aitape may be a small town with a population of around 8000, but the locals are no strangers to powerful quakes or resulting tsunamis. In 1998, more than 2,000 people died in a tsunami near the town, Yahoo News reports.
