Monday, December 12 2005 10:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jakarta (Indonesia): A Magnitude 6.8 earthquake hits Papua New Guinea, U.S. Geological Survey reports.

There were no immediate indications of whether it caused any damage or injuries.

The quake had an initial magnitude of 6.8 and struck at 12:20 a.m. local time (1950 IST) in the New Britain region of Papua New Guinea, USGS said.

Its center was estimated to have been at a depth of 10 kilometers, it said.

The region is about 2,310 kilometers north of Brisbane, Australia.