M7.1 earthquake near Lae, Morobe Province
13462 d ago · 7 Dec 1989, 13:38 UTC 59 km ESE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea
What happened
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck 59 km ESE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea on 7 Dec 1989, 13:38 UTC at a depth of 104 km.
Earthquakes of this size are classed as Major. Can cause serious damage over large areas. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.
The nearest town in our records is Lae, about 75 km away in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.
Timeline
First reported by USGS
16 Oct 2026, 20:46 UTC
Community
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