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Major earthquake strikes off Papua New Guinea

Posted at 6:54 PM, Mar 29, 2015
and last updated 2015-03-29 20:54:55-04

By Catherine E. Shoichet

(CNN) — A magnitude 7.7 earthquake has struck off Papua New Guinea, the U.S. Geological Survey said Sunday.

The quake was 40.8 miles (65.7 km) deep, the USGS said. Its epicenter was 54 km (34 km) southeast of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea.

There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected, but hazardous tsunami waves are possible within 621 miles (1,000 km) of the epicenter along the coasts of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

CNN’s Deborah Doft contributed to this report.

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