- MANILA: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 has struck the northern Philippines.
- It occurred deep under the ocean floor and was not expected to cause any major damage.
The quake, centered offshore 117 km northeast of Laoag city on the main Philippine island of Luzon, was felt as far as the capital Manila, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
Renato Solidum, who heads the institute, said movement in the Manila Trench set off the earthquake.
“It’s quite big so we are calling and checking on islands in the north, but there are no reports of damages yet,” Ismael Narag, officer in charge of the seismology department at the institute.
Solidum says there are no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The Philippine archipelago lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire where earthquakes are common.
The last time a major earthquake struck the island of Luzon was in July 1991, killing hundreds of people and devastating wide areas, notably the cities of Baguio and Dagupan.