Earthquake

A lifetime scar

This is no exception for the victims of the 7.5 magnitude earthquake.

Survivors who were successfully evacuated from Moro shared their encounters in an exclusive interview.

A group of women employed by CDI Foundation were amongst the fortunate who were evacuated by the Oil Search chartered flights out of Moro on Tuesday.

Fear and trauma was obvious in the way they spoke and acted during the interview.

One survivor, Jacklyn Ila, openly shed tears for her family back home.

Strong earthquake strikes Indonesia; 2 dead

The 6.5-magnitude quake was centered in Cipatujah, in the western part of Java, the US Geological Survey said, at a depth of 91.9 kilometers (about 57 miles).

Residents felt the quake about 190 miles away (305 kilometers) in the capital of Jakarta, where people briefly evacuated to the ground floor of their high-rises.

Tremors were also felt in the cities of Bandung, more than 63.5 miles away (102.1 kilometers) and Yogyakarta, more than 211 miles away (339.9 kilometers), authorities said.

Centre of New Zealand and Wellington rocked by early morning earthquake

The quake, measuring magnitude 4.1, struck 15km northwest of Wellington just after 2.30am.

Geonet said the quake caused light shaking across the region.

More than 2100 people reported feeling the quake from as far afield as Bay of Plenty and Christchurch.

Many living in the Wellington region described it as a noisy quake that could be heard several seconds before it struck.

"I was already awake working and heard it coming. Rumble then shake," posted Tracy Wellington.

Strong quake hits Iraq-Iran border region

It struck 32km (20mi) south-west of the Iraqi town of Halabja, the USGS said.

Iranian state media said it was felt in several provinces, with eight villages damaged and electricity cut.

Kurdish TV also said many people in Iraqi Kurdistan fled their homes when it struck but there were no initial reports of casualties.

The earthquake struck just before 21:20 local time in Baghdad (18:20 GMT) at a depth of 33.9 km.

     

Infrastructure concerns in Solomons after latest quakeInfrastructure concerns in Solomons after latest quake

Another powerful quake struck near Kirakira this morning - a 6.7 magnitude quake at a depth of 33km.

The undersea quake hit 71km west of the city of Kirakira, which is on the country's biggest island, Makira.

Director of the National Disaster Management Office Loti Yates said there was no tsunami threat from this morning's quake but he was expecting more reports of damage.

Mr Yates said multiple quakes of magnitude 5 and above have hampered relief operations still underway in the Makira area.

7000 affected across three provinces by Solomons' quakes

RNZ reports disaster authorities said around 200 buildings had been destroyed or damaged in the provinces of Makira & Ulawa, Malaita and Guadalcanal.

Among them were 11 schools and a medical clinic.

Some dwellings were also hit by waves generated by Friday's 7-point-8 magnitude quake and Saturday's 6-point-9 aftershock.

The country director for World Vision Solomon Islands Janes Ginting said the tremors had left communities very nervous.

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Brazil thrashes PNG 9-0

http://www.looppng.com/content/brazil-thrashes-png-9-0

Brazil registered its first win in the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup, thrashing home side Papua New Guinea 9-0 tonight at the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby.

Merger of agencies to go ahead

http://www.looppng.com/content/merger-agencies-go-ahead

Disaster preparedness vital for schools

Many schools in the New Guinea Islands Region particularly in East New Britain, New Ireland and West New Britain are at risk of earthquakes and tsunamis.

Schools in the Highlands Region are at risk of landslides therefore it is vital that children are prepared and know what to do when faced with a natural disaster.

Shichigo Elementary School in Sendai City, Japan is undergoing a pilot curriculum for disaster preparedness, prevention and safety.

Japan’s tsunami hit city on road to recovery

Loop PNG visited the city this week as part of the Pacific-Caribbean Journalists Program organised by the Association for Promotion of International Cooperation and the Foreign Press Center Japan.

Ishinomaki is the major city of northeast Miyagi Prefecture located at the mouth of the Kitakami River which is the biggest river in northern Japan.

The earthquake and tsunami caused disastrous damage to the city, leaving a permanent scar on both the city and the minds of its residents.

6.5 magnitude earthquake recorded this afternoon

 An officer from the Geophysical Observatory office, Matthew Moihoi, confirmed the earthquake took place at 4.15pm today.

The Geophysical Observatory office says there is no tsunami threat from this quake.

This earthquake took place 83km beneath the Arawe Islands of the West New Britain Province in the Western Solomon Sea.

It was caused by interaction between the Solomon Sea and the Bismark tectonic plates and was weakly felt in Port Moresby.

No damage has been reported.