Papua New Guinea quake kills at least 15

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND

A powerful earthquake Monday killed at least 15 people, injured dozens and disrupted work at mines, coffee plantations and oil fields in a remote Papua New Guinea region, the local governor said Wednesday.

His comments were the first confirmation of deaths from a high-ranking official after Monday’s magnitude-7.5 earthquake severed communications and roads in the central region, hindering assessment of the scale of the destruction. The National Disaster Centre has declined to give numbers as it assesses the damage.

Southern Highlands Governor William Powi told The Associated Press that communication remains difficult and the death toll may rise.

Staff/wire reports