MANILA – A 6.3-magnitude quake rocked the Philippines today, said the United States Geological Survey (USGS), with residents in the capital here reporting buildings shaking and Christmas Day mass interrupted.
However, there were no reports of damage.
The quake struck Batangas province on the main island of Luzon at a depth of 114km, at 7.43am local time (2343 GMT), said USGS.
The agency initially said the quake’s strength was 6.2 magnitude, and it struck 108km deep.
In the coastal city of Calatagan, about 90km south of the capital and near the epicentre, people attending mass remained calm as the quake hit, police chief Carlo Caceres told AFP.
“There was a pause in the church service, but the people did not panic.
“This area is quake-prone, and people are more or less used to (quakes).”
There were no reports of damage or casualties in the area, he added.
“The office furniture and equipment swayed, but nothing was broken,” said policeman Allan Megano in the nearby town of Balayan.
The Philippines is situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. – AFP, December 25, 2020
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