At least eight people were killed when a magnitude-7.6 earthquake jolted eastern Papua New Guinea on Sunday, local officials said.

The earthquake occurred at a depth of 61 km and was felt around the country, including the national capital Port Moresby, where moderate to severe shaking was felt for over a minute, according to the Papua New Guinea Disaster Management Team. 

Although a tsunami threat message was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the threat was lifted by 10:25 a.m. local time.

Papua New Guinean residents on Twitter described feeling tremors and shared images and videos of items falling off supermarket shelves.

Residents in northern towns near the epicenter reported intense shaking mid-morning, cracking roads and shearing cladding off buildings. 

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits on the Pacific's "Ring of Fire," a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates. 

A magnitude-7.5 quake rocked the country's remote mountainous highlands in 2018, killing more than 100 people and damaging thousands of homes.

The Chinese Embassy in Papua New Guinea urged caution over potential aftershocks and said it had not received any reports of Chinese casualties.

(With input from agencies)