At least six fatalities following Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake beneath East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake at a depth of 40.2 km,approximately 38 km to the northeast of the town of Ambunti in East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, slightly after 6.20 am Local time on Sunday 24 March 2024 (slightly after 8.20 pm on Saturday 23 March GMT). Six people have been confirmed dead following the event,with several more injured, and around a thousand homes damaged or destroyed across the province.

A house in East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, damaged by an Earthquake on Sunday 24 March 2024. The area was already suffering from severe flooding. Cyril Tara/ABC.

 The north coast of East Sepik Province is located on the southern margin of the North Bismarck Plate, close to its boundary with the Australian Plate, which underlies most of the Papuan mainland. The North Bismarck Plate is being subducted beneath the Australian Plate along the New Guinea Trench on the north coast of the island. This is not a smooth process, with the rocks sticking together, then moving sharply as the pressure builds up enough to break them apart, which can also lead to Earthquakes in the region.

The approximate location of the 24 March 2024 East Sepik Province Earthquake. USGS.

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Four confirmed deaths after Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake hits East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake at a depth of 62.6 km, beneath Chambri Lake in East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, slightly before 4.05 am Local time on Monday 3 April 2023 (slightly before 6.05 pm on Sunday 2 April GMT). Four people are reported to have died following the event, including a mother and her young child, with 17 people injured and damage to homes in 23 villages, as well as a series of landslide events, although the number of casualties could be higher, due to the remote nature of the area affected. 

Damage to a traditionally built home in East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, following a Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake on Monday 3 April 2023. Salvadore Kemaken/ABC News.

The north coast of East Sepik Province is located on the southern margin of the North Bismarck Plate, close to its boundary with the Australian Plate, which underlies most of the Papuan mainland. The North Bismarck Plate is being subducted beneath the Australian Plate along the New Guinea Trench on the north coast of the island. This is not a smooth process, with the rocks sticking together, then moving sharply as the pressure builds up enough to break them apart, which can also lead to Earthquakes in the region.

The approximate location of the 3 April 2023 East Sepik Province Earthquake. USGS.

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Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake off the north coast of Papua New Guinea.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake at a depth of 10.0 km, off the north coast of East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, slightly before 5.15 pm Local time (slightly before 7.15 am GMT) on Friday 11 February 2022. The incident was followed by a number of aftershocks, including a Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake which happened in approximately the same place six hours later. There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with these events, but both were felt on the north coast of the island.

 

The approximate location of the 11 February 2022 East Sepik Province Earthquake. USGS.

The north coast of East Sepik Province is located on the southern margin of the North Bismarck Plate, close to its boundary with the Australian Plate, which underlies most of the Papuan mainland. The North Bismarck Plate is being subducted beneath the Australian Plate along the New Guinea Trench on the north coast of the island. This is not a smooth process, with the rocks sticking together, then moving sharply as the pressure builds up enough to break them apart, which can also lead to Earthquakes in the region.

 

Tectonic setting of the Papua New Guinea region. FTB, Aure Fold-and-Thrust Belt; OSZF, Owen Stainly fault zone; GF, Gogol fault; BTFZ, Bewani-Torricelli fault zone; RMFZ, Ramu-Markham fault zone; BSSL, Bismarck Sea Seismic Lineation. Koulali et al. (2022).

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