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Local authorities issued a warning of potential damage and aftershocks when a magnitude 6.2 earthquake slammed the Philippines on Thursday, according to the US Geological Survey.
At roughly 10:00 am (0200 GMT), the earthquake occurred at a depth of 124 kilometres (77 miles) in waters about three hours’ drive from the capital Manila.
The tremor, which was felt over the country’s densely populated heartland, including Manila, according to Emil Mendoza, chief of police for the Calatagan municipality, prompted him and his staff to rush outside.
It was too powerful. We were forced to flee inside,” Mendoza told AFP.
Disaster officials have been sent out to assess the effects of the tremor, according to Mendoza, however there were no early reports of casualties or property damage.
The earthquake lasted between 30 seconds and a minute, according to Calatagan disaster officer Ronald Torres.
People in the capital fled from buildings in response to the earthquake.
Authorities are evaluating the effects of the earthquake, according to civil defence office communications officer Diego Mariano.
There haven’t been any significant injuries or casualties as of the reporting time. Still conducting assessment, Mariano told reporters in a message.
The Philippines, which is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region of strong seismic and volcanic activity that spans from Japan to Southeast Asia and throughout the Pacific basin, experiences earthquakes on a daily basis.
More than 200 people perished in landslides and earthquakes that occurred on Bohol Island in the central Philippines in October 2013.
Old churches in the Philippines, the country where Catholicism originated, suffered severe damage. The earthquake caused tens of thousands of homes to be damaged and about 400,000 people to be homeless.
