MANILA: A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit the ocean off the coast of the eastern Philippines here on Tuesday evening, according to the US Geological Survey.
The shallow quake occurred at around 9:00 pm (1300 GMT), around 120 kilometres (74 miles) from Catanduanes Island, off Luzon Island.
While there have been no immediate reports of damage on Catanduanes, local authorities are warning of aftershocks and potential damage.
Shallow earthquakes like this one tend to cause more damage than deeper ones.
“It was not that strong to generate damage,” said Prince Obo, a disaster management officer in Gigmoto municipality. He reported that he was at home when the quake struck and waited until the building stopped shaking before joining his neighbors outside.
Obo said that although some of his action figures moved in their cabinet, they did not fall.
The Philippines is situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanic and intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
Earthquake are regular in the region
Quakes are a regular occurrence in the region, with most being too weak to be felt by humans. However, strong and destructive ones occur at random, with no technology currently available to predict when and where they will happen.
The nation’s civil defense office regularly conducts drills simulating earthquakes along active fault lines.
The last major earthquake was in the northern Philippines in October, when a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit the mountain town of Dolores in Abra province, wounding several people, damaging buildings, and cutting power to most of the region.
Last July, a 7.0-magnitude quake in mountainous Abra triggered landslides and ground fissures, killing 11 people.
As the Philippines braces for potential aftershocks and damage, authorities are urging residents in affected areas to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions.
