A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea on Sunday, the US Geological Survey reported, but a tsunami warning was not issued and no major damage was expected. The quake hit 105 kilometres (65 miles) west of Panguna, a town on Bougainville Island, at a depth of 64 kilometres, and some 677 kilometres west of the Solomon Islands' capital Honiara, it said. "A destructive tsunami was not generated based on earthquake and historical tsunami data," said the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Tokyo, Apr 13 (EFE).- A magnitude-6.3 earthquake rocked western Japan early Saturday, injuring 23 people and causing minor damage to buildings, although authorities did not issue a tsunami alert. The temblor struck at 5:33 a.m. and was centered near Awaji Island at a depth of 15 kilometers (9 miles), Japan's meteorological agency said. For its part, the National Police Agency said the earthquake left 23 people injured in five different prefectures, 14 of them in Hyogo, where Awaji Island is located.

A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake has hit off eastern Indonesia. No tsunami warning has been issued, and there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake shook Papua province Saturday at a depth of 75 kilometers (47 miles). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said no tsunami had been generated. Residents ran from their houses in panic, and many remained outside fearing aftershocks.

A major 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, sending panicked crowds running into the streets. There were no reports of damage and no tsunami warning was issued after the quake struck on land at 1:42 pm (0442 GMT) at a depth of 75 kilometres (46 miles), 272 kilometres west-southwest of provincial capital Jayapura, the USGS said. Local seismologists had measured the quake at 7.2 magnitude.