<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck northeastern Papua New Guinea on Saturday, the United States Geological Survey said, with no immediate reports of damage.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The strong quake had a depth of 53 kilometres (33 miles) and hit at around 7:30 pm (0830 GMT) with the epicentre about 56 kilometres southeast of the coastal town of Madang, the USGS said.</div><div><br></div><div>An aftershock of equal magnitude hit off the coast of Madang minutes later, the USGS said.</div><div><br></div><div>Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea, but rarely cause widespread damage.</div><div><br></div><div>Outside major towns and cities, most areas are sparsely populated, and what buildings there are tend to be made of wood.</div><div><br></div><div>But some quakes are more destructive.</div><div><br></div><div>In April, at least seven people were killed when a 7.0 magnitude quake hit a jungle-clad area on the Pacific island nation.</div><div><br></div><div>About 180 homes were destroyed in the Karawari area, near the quake's epicentre.</div><div><br></div><div>In September last year, 10 people were killed when a 7.6-magnitude earthquake levelled hundreds of homes, split roads and caused power outages across the rugged north of the country. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>