A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the small island nation of Papua New Guinea, Saturday, causing incredible damage.
The quake struck at an intermediate depth of 90km, triggering landslides and widespread damage throughout the country, which is situated on the northern edge of the Australian plate, according to the United States Geological Survey. The epicenter was near the town of Kainantu, with a population of roughly 8,500, USGS noted.
The true extent of the damage remains largely unclear as of Monday afternoon. Photographs and videos show debris-strewn roads, demolished buildings, huge cracks erupting in the middle of streets and widespread liquefaction (which is when the ground turns to liquid beneath you). It’s unclear how long the earthquake lasted, but one security camera video suggests it went on for at least 60 seconds.
Watch | 7.6 magnitude earthquake hits #PapuaNewGuinea. US Geological Survey says the quake, with depth of 90 kilometers, strikes near town of #Kainantu. Power outages and damage to buildings reported in parts of the country.#Earthquake pic.twitter.com/pMo19W7PYv
— NCIB NEWS NETWORK (@NCIB_INDIA_NEWS) September 11, 2022
One video of a helicopter feeling the shake is particularly insane, showing the sheer strength of the quake as it rattled underfoot. (RELATED: Earthquake Kills At Least 65 People, Injures Hundreds More In China)
Parked helicopter filmed moving during a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the area of Lae in Papua New Guinea yesterday.
📹 bennetdg5454 pic.twitter.com/3kTu1DZUfr
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) September 12, 2022
Initial reports suggest that the weekend tremors plaguing the island killed at least seven people, Reuters reported. Their deaths were reportedly related to landslides.
Major earthquake
Papua New Guinea
Sunday, Sep 11, 2022
9:46 AM local time pic.twitter.com/mPnoeZKfWv— Christopher Webb🇺🇸VOTE (@cwebbonline) September 11, 2022
The people of Papua New Guinea have hit headlines a number of times in 2022 as horrific violence against women and girls accused of witchcraft plagues the developing nation, Al Jazeera reported in August. While reports of machete-wielding men slashing innocent bystanders and other random acts of violence related to arson and sexual violence are as prevalent in America’s major cities as they are in Papua, violence related to accusations of sorcery and the public torture of women accused of witchcraft are also on the rise, the outlet continued.
In July, nine women, two of whom were in their 60s and one who was pregnant, were splashed with petrol and burned alive after they were accused of killing a man who likely died of a heart attack while hiking, Al Jazeera noted. Police efforts to rescue the survivors, who faced even more horrific acts of torture took days. Four of the women died, the outlet reported.