OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Papua New Guinea - Earthquake
17 November 2000


The following information was provided by the Rabaul Volcano Observatory
and the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO)  through the OCHA
Regional Disaster Response Advisor for the Pacific.


Situation and Damage

1.  The first strong earthquake, measuring between 7 and 8 on the Richter
Scale, occurred at 14.54 hrs local time or 4.54 hrs GMT on 16 November
2000. It was located 40 km north east of Rabaul, at a depth of 20-50 km.
The Rabaul Volcano Observatory observed that the sea level at Simpson
Harbour dropped by about a metre, revealing mud flats, and noticed that
twenty minutes after the tremor the sea returned as a surge rather than as
a breaking wave, rising a metre above the high tide mark.

2.  Aftershocks were felt every 10-20 minutes throughout the afternoon and
three hours after the first earthquake the second strong tremor was
experienced. Aftershocks gradually petered out after this event.

3.  The damage in Rabaul appears to be limited. A number of containers
were shifted by the wave. There have been some small landslides and fallen
trees, but no reports of any casualties. The tsunami was larger at Kokopo,
where it reached up to 2 metres above the high tide mark and damaged a
supermarket and one of the wooden wharves.

4.  The tsunami was noticed as far away as Bougainville, and is likely to
have caused some damage in the Duke of York Islands and New Ireland, but
there are no reports of any casualties yet.


National and International Response

5.  The East New Britain Provincial Disaster Council met on 17 November
and a team is conducting a damage assessment.

6.  No request for international assistance has been received by OCHA to
date.

7.  OCHA is in close contact with the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, as well as with Government authorities
through the OCHA Regional Disaster Response Advisor for the Pacific, and
will revert with further information if it becomes available.

8.    This situation report, together with further information on ongoing
emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at
http://www.reliefweb.int

Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:  Ms. S. Metzner-Strack / Mr. R. Mueller / Mr. S. Matsuka
Direct Tel. +41-22-917 21 44 / 31 31 / 40 34

Press contact:
  (in GVA) Mr. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 53
  (in NY) Ms. Phyllis Lee, direct Tel. +1-212-963 48 32


distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
Disaster Information Center             lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm
                                                     sitreps    nat-dsr
      web: www.vita.org                              fireline
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -