A magnitude 7.0 earthquake has struck remote New Britain island in Papua New Guinea, the United States Geological Survey says, though there were no immediate reports of damage.
The quake hit about 200km southwest of the town of Rabaul at a depth of almost 40km, just before 7 am on Thursday (local time).
"We felt the earthquake a bit, but it was not too strong," Constable Roy Michael told Reuters by phone from Rabaul police station.
He said there was no damage in the town, but officers had not yet been able to contact villages closer to the epicentre.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said waves less than 30cm high could be expected on coastlines in Papua New Guinea and neighbouring Solomon Islands.
Australia's Tsunami Warning Centre said its coastlines were not at risk.
The quake was initially recorded with a magnitude of 7.3 but was downgraded. At least two aftershocks with a magnitude greater than 5 shortly followed.
In March, a 6.6 magnitude quake struck nearby and no casualties or damage were reported.
Papua New Guinea, one of the world's poorest countries, sits on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and is still recovering from a 7.5 quake that hit some 900km to the west in February, killing at least 100 people.
