M6.5 earthquake - 15 km SW of Aitape, Papua New Guinea
16821 d ago · 26 Sept 1980, 15:20 UTC 15 km SW of Aitape, Papua New Guinea
What happened
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck 15 km SW of Aitape, Papua New Guinea on 26 Sept 1980, 15:20 UTC at a depth of 33 km.
Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.
The nearest town in our records is Wewak, about 159 km away in East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.
Timeline
First reported by USGS
16 Oct 2026, 20:46 UTC
Community
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