Seoul
CNN
—
At least 16 people have been killed after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Papua New Guinea on Sunday, according to the Australian Red Cross.
“The death toll is “expected to rise sharply” following reports of entire villages being buried by landslides, a Red Cross statement said, adding that extensive damage had been done, with “concrete roads destroyed and bridges broken”.
“Essential services such as electricity and communications were cut off and the landslide is expected to expand further as heavy rains continue overnight,” the statement said.
The quake struck near the town of Kenantu on Sunday morning at a depth of 90 kilometers (about 56 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The agency reports that the town has a population of about 8,500 people.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center initially said a dangerous tsunami could occur within 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of the coast of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, but later said there was no longer a threat.