Agencies

SYDNEY: A tsunami warning has been issued for the Pacific region after a powerful earthquake rattled the south Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea on Monday.

The magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck at a depth of 65 kilometers (40 miles), about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of the town of Kokopo in northeastern Papua New Guinea, the US Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous tsunami waves could hit coasts located within 1,000 kilometers of Kokopo, with waves between 1 to 3 meters possible for Papua New Guinea.

Also, Tsunami waves of less than 0.3 meters (1 foot) could hit other Pacific island nations, China, Japan, Russia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Antarctica later Monday, the tsunami warning center said.

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea. The country lies on the "Ring of Fire" — an arc of earthquake and volcanic activity that stretches around the Pacific Rim.