Three people have been killed and at least 1,000 homes destroyed in a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea, local media reported. According to the US Geological Survey, the quake struck in the northern part of the country.

The source lay at a depth of 40.2 kilometres, Xinhua reported.

Several districts of East Sepik province, including Ambunti and Wewak, took the brunt of the quake.