Magnitude 7.2 Quake Off Papua New Guinea

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A magnitude 7.2 earthquake has struck off Papua New Guinea, according to the US Geological Survey.

It is the fourth quake to strike in the area over the past week.

It hit 90 miles south-west of the town of Arawa and was relatively shallow at six miles.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a tsunami threat but this has been lifted.

Chris McKee, assistant director of the Geophysical Observatory in the capital, Port Moresby, said: "It's not a particularly strong earthquake in global terms, but it could still have generated a tsunami, so it's a bit too uncertain at this stage to be sure."

Last week, several quakes up to a magnitude of 7.1 hit the area .

Papua New Guinea sits on the Ring of Fire, the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific where earthquakes are common.