The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.7-magnitude quake struck 32 kilometers beneath the ocean floor.

It shook the coastal towns of Kandrian and Kimbe on the island province of New Britain, according to Papua New Guinea's Geophysical Observatory, which noted that both are 40 miles (65 kilometers) or less from the epicenter.

Papua New Guinea lies on the "Ring of Fire" — an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around the Pacific Rim and where about 90 percent of the world's quakes occur.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of a destructive tsunami from the 1:12 p.m. quake given its magnitude.

AP