A massive earthquake measuring an estimated 8.0 on the Richter scale hit an area near Papua New Guinea Thursday, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said.
The epicenter of the quake, which occurred at 0455 GMT, was near the Bismarck Archipelago in the Pacific, and was located at 4.0 degrees south latitude and 151.0 degrees east longitude, the agency said.
Authorities in the Northern Mariana Islands earlier Thursday declared a tsunami or tidal wave alert and urged people in low lying areas to evacuate immediately.
In 1998 a tsunami in northern PNG killed around 2000 people – TOKYO (AFP)
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