Homes destroyed, 4 reported dead from Papua New Guinea quake

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A powerful earthquake in Papua New Guinea has killed four people and destroyed more than 300 homes, local media reported Tuesday. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck in a remote region early Monday and disaster relief workers were continuing to assess the extent of the damage. Citing local officials, the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier reported that as well as the deaths, at least 17 more people were injured after the quake caused damage in 23 villages around the epicenter at Chambri Lake in the northern part of the Pacific nation. The region is marked by swamps and people tend to live subsistence lives hunting and fishing.