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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Latest on a powerful earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea (all times local):
8:45 p.m.
Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency says a powerful earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea caused panic and damaged buildings in the Boven Diguel area of Indonesia's easternmost Papua province.
The agency says information is still limited because of the remoteness of the area, which borders Papua New Guinea, and its lack of disaster response personnel. It didn't yet know if there were any fatalities.
A mosque, military post, district office and a house were damaged in the border area and photos of the Boven Diguel district office, provided by the agency, showed a heavily damaged roof and interior.
The magnitude 7.5 quake hit early Monday.
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7 p.m.
Government officers in Papua New Guinea are traveling to the area hit by a powerful earthquake to assess unverified reports of fatalities and to see the extent of the damage.
A magnitude-7.5 quake hit early Monday about 89 kilometers (55 miles) southwest of Porgera in the Pacific Island nation. The quake rattled forest villages and a large gold mine.
The area also is home to a number of oil and gas operations and coffee plantations.
Oil Search Managing Director Peter Botten said the company was closing down some production operations in the region as a precaution, and that partner ExxonMobil had also shut down a facility. Botten said there had been no injuries reported among its employees.
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