5 dead as powerful earthquake hits Papua New Guinea

At least five people were killed after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Papua New Guinea on Sunday.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at a depth of 90 kilometers (56 miles) beneath the surface near the Australian plate, at around 9.46 a.m. (2346GMT Saturday).

According to the UN office in the southern Pacific Island nation, the earthquake struck east of Kainantu, Eastern Highlands province. The epicenter was found to be northwest of Lae, in the Markham valley area near Mutzing town.

At least four injuries have been reported.

The deaths were reported on the Rai coast in Madang province and in Wau town of Morobe province. "All were buried in landslides," the UN office added.

The earthquake was felt across the nation, including in the capital Port Moresby.

The UN report said the Ramu hydropower station-the country's biggest dam near Kainantu in Eastern Highlands province-was also damaged, resulting in a total system outage across the Highlands provinces, Madang, and Morobe.

Besides, main highlands and roads have also suffered damages.

Local media reported that five newly-constructed dormitories at the University of Goroka were razed to the ground, leaving over 7,600 students under the open sky.

Prime Minister James Marape said the government "stood ready to assist, but needed a full report of the damages."

"I know, telecommunication and electricity in some parts of the country have also been affected, and I assure citizens in affected areas that we are ready to address all this," he told a news conference on Sunday.