Strong quake hits off Papua New Guinea coast: USGS

A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea`s northern coast on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, with no immediate tsunami warning issued.

The shallow quake hit at 5:24 am local time (1924 GMT Friday) about 120 kilometres (75 miles) northeast of Angoram and over 700 kilometres from the island`s capital Port Moresby, USGS said.

No damage or injuries were immediately reported.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had no alerts on its website following the quake.

Quakes are common on the island nation that lies on the 4,000-kilometre-long Pacific Australia plate, which forms part of the "Ring of Fire", a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.