SYDNEY, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A 6.8-magnitude quake struck 20 km east-northeast of Taron, Papua New Guinea at 1739 GMT on Thursday, less than two weeks after a 7.5 tremor hit the southwestern Pacific country, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The latest earthquake occurred at a depth of 15.2 km and there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami threat.

The major temblor which struck the country's Southern Highlands region on Feb. 25 left more than 30 people dead, with aid agencies reporting about 150,000 other victims in urgent need of emergency supplies. A series of aftershocks in the past weeks have also rocked the remote area, where landslides, disrupted communication links and damaged buildings have hampered disaster relief efforts.