February 28, 2018 Earthquake: S Highlands, Papua New Guinea
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck S Highlands, Papua New Guinea on February 28, 2018 at 02:45:45 UTC, 16 km below the surface. It killed 1 person.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- February 28, 2018
- Time
- 02:45:45 UTC
- Place
- S Highlands, Papua New Guinea
- Magnitude
- 6.1 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 16 km (10 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 6.170° S, 142.468° E
- Country
- Papua New Guinea
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
A person was reported to be buried after the earth opened up in Komo yesterday. Reports stated the recent death is believed to be from the aftershock that shocked Hela and Southern Highlands measuring 6 magnitudes yesterday that occurred Mongols, near Mt Bosave. (reference #12054) One person killed by a ground fissure of unspecified origin at Komo. Tari, Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea - CDI: 6; Kiunga, Fly River, Papua New Guinea - CDI: 6; Mendi, Southern Highlands, Papua New Guinea - CDI: 5; Goroka, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea - CDI: 2 (reference #13456)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 2018The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2018Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 10313.