Three people were reported dead and 1,000 homes destroyed after an earthquake struck East Sepik Province in Papua New Guinea.

In brief: An estimated 1,000 homes were destroyed by an earthquake after it struck a province of Papua New Guinea that was already suffering from major flooding. There are reports that three people were killed in the earthquake that occurred on Sunday morning. Disaster-affected communities say they need shelter, clean water and food after the earthquake. .

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake destroyed an estimated 1,000 homes in Papua New Guinea after it struck East Sepik province, and there are reports three people have been killed.

The quake struck around 6:20 a.m. on Sunday, 38 kilometers from the town of Ambunti and at a depth of about 40 kilometers, shaking villages along the Sepik River and its surrounding areas.

Three people died when the earthquake submerged homes in areas hit by recent floods, the Post-Courier newspaper in Papua New Guinea reported.

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck East Sepik Province after floods had already submerged the area. (Supplier: Ambunte-Drekeker District Member Office)

Alan Baird, governor of East Sepik Province, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that provincial authorities provided an initial estimate that the quake destroyed 1,000 homes.

He added that the floods caused damage to most parts of the governorate, which were already suffering from flood pressures.

“The floods actually cover an area of ​​more than 800 kilometres, so there are maybe 60 or 70 villages affected along the Sepik River,” he added.

Bird said authorities were prepared to respond to floods this week and had medical teams on standby when the quake struck and destroyed hundreds of homes.

“The floods were not their biggest problem. They were dealing with it with confidence because it was something they were used to,” he said.

“It was an earthquake that no one was prepared for. It would have caused the most damage by now.”

Villages in East Sepik Province were flooded before Sunday's earthquake.

Mr Baird said the most urgent needs in disaster-affected areas were shelter and clean water, as well as tarps to keep property and firewood dry.

“Double disaster”

Residents of the earthquake-hit area reported that their homes were flooded, and said that local communities are now facing shortages of food and clean drinking water.

Gideon Marlow, who volunteers to help quake-hit villages, said people were shocked to see their homes destroyed in the disaster.

“They were trying to help themselves, looking for ways to get to a safer place to get from the high flood zone to the safer side,” he added.

“At this moment, you know, it's a double disaster for them. So people are looking for help to try to get some kind of help.”

Marlow said that in one of the villages he visited, seven houses collapsed while others were on the verge of collapse.

“I'm trying to move around as a volunteer, trying to help them. Helping each other is everyone's job,” he said.

Houses collapsed in floodwaters or were about to collapse after the earthquake that struck Papua New Guinea on Sunday. (Source: Gideon Marlowe)

Cyril Tara, a community leader in Kamanipet village in Angoram district, said 39 homes in his community were flooded after the quake.

He was grateful that no one in his community was seriously injured or killed, but said food including sago — a starch made from the material found in palm trunks — was short on food.

“Families in our communities who were fortunate to have larger homes were able to meet the needs of families who lost their homes and property,” he said.

“All our food gardens have been destroyed. We have fish but now we don't have any sago after the disaster that happened on Sunday.

“Right now, our drinking water has become contaminated and it's not really good, with a lot of bubbles after the earthquake and the taste is not what we had before.”

He called on the authorities, including district chiefs and Mr Baird, to visit the affected areas and see the effects of the earthquake.

Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds caused major floods and landslides in Papua New Guinea this month.

Local media reported that 23 people died in Chimbu District in three landslides on March 18. The storms also inundated the coastal village of Lessi Kavora in Gulf Province.

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