6.9 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Papua New Guinea

A strong earthquake struck off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea’s New Britain Island on Thursday, initially prompting tsunami warnings in the area. 

The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.9 , according to the U.S. Geological Survey. 

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a tsunami warning for the coasts of Papua New Guinea, though the threat had passed without incident nearly two hours later. 

It is unclear if the earthquake caused any damage to the island.

Papua New Guinea, north of Australia, is still recovering from a pair of deadly earthquakes that hit the country in recent weeks.

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit the country’s highland region on Feb. 26, triggering powerful aftershocks, according to CNN . The earthquake killed at least 67 people and left 500 others injured.

One week later, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the country  and killed at least 18 more people.

After the second earthquake, the International Red Cross said that as many as 143,000 people could have been affected by the disaster and 17,000 people have been displaced from their homes, Reuters reported .