Tsunami warning: 8.0 magnitude earthquake hits Pacific Ocean east of Papua New Guinea in Indonesia

A tremendous 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea on Saturday, prompting the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre to issue an alert in several coastal areas, the US Geological Survey said.

"Widespread hazardous tsunami waves are possible," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said in a message following the quake, which struck the New Ireland region of Papua New Guinea at a depth of 73 km.

The quake struck 60 km to the east of Taron, New Ireland, at 8.51 pm local time (1051 GMT) and was originally recorded at 8.0-magititude and then slightly revised down to 7.9. It struck at a depth of some 75 km, the USGS said. 

The PTWC said tsunami waves were possible in the next three hours along some coasts of not only Papua New Guinea but also Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Nauru, Kosrae and Vanuatu.