The earthquake, at a depth of 20 kilometers, occurred near the north coast of New Guinea, PNG at 8:55 a.m. (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on Wednesday, according to the Geoscience Australia.

　　No destructive tsunami warning has been issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.

　　However, the center says earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers of the earthquake epicenter.

　　"Authorities in the region should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action," the center said in its tsunami bulletin.