[4] These earthquakes struck beneath the Finisterre Range, north of Markham Valley in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.

The complex earthquake sequence seriously damaged many villages in the rural Eastern Papua New Guinea region, generating landslides and killing at least 60 people.

[5] Due to the location at a major plate boundary zone, Papua New Guinea is struck by earthquakes and tsunamis frequently and is one of the world's most seismically active regions.

[6] The earthquake with a hypocenter beneath the Finisterre Range occurred in close proximity to the Ramu Markham Fault.

The fault is also a suture zone where the Finisterre island arc Terrane; a fragment of crust, joins the larger tectonic plates in the region.

[7][8] The 6.9 and 6.7 mainshocks are the largest to occur near the fault and are considered a doublet earthquake due to their close magnitude, location and timing.

Large surface displacements provided evidence that the décollement and Ramu Markham Fault ruptured at the same time.

Many homes and schools constructed of wood in the mountains survived the earthquake with slight to moderate damage due to their flexibility.

[10] An initial report stated that the quake killed four people and left more than 40 missing, but the death toll climbed to over 60, and later, 65 when officials conducted their search and rescue operations.

Slight damage such as cracked concrete roofing sheets and water tanks occurred in Ramu Sugar.