M6.2 earthquake - 125 km NNW of Alotau, Papua New Guinea

What happened

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 125 km NNW of Alotau, Papua New Guinea on 22 Oct 1956, 12:35 UTC at a depth of 15 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 Popondetta, about 210 km away in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea.