Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes Philippines

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It was followed a few minutes later by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in the same area.

A strong earthquake rocked the Philippines on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, but it was deep and local authorities said they were not expecting damage.

The US Geological Survey said the 6.7-magnitude quake struck off the main island of Luzon at 4:48 a.m. (2048 GMT) at a depth of 112 km (70 miles).

This was followed a few minutes later by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in the same area, which was also deep.

“It is very strong and we are concerned,” said police Major Ronnie Orellano of Calatagan municipality in Batangas province, south of Manila and near the epicenter of the earthquake.

“It rains a lot here too, but our people here are used to earthquakes. They are familiar with ducks, they grab and cover when there’s an earthquake.”

“We are checking low-lying areas in case of a tsunami,” he added.

The Philippine Seismological Agency said it did not expect damage. There was no tsunami warning or threat, according to the US Tsunami Warning System.

“It’s not as strong compared to previous earthquakes here – no damage has been reported to us,” said Police Sgt. Bernie Fadrogao in nearby Mabini.

“Our sliding door shook a bit but it didn’t break.”

The archipelago is regularly exposed to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Basin.

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