6.3-magnitude earthquake rocks Philippines
A good 6.3-magnitude quake rocked the Philippines Friday, the US Geological Survey said, with residents on the administrative centre Manila reporting properties shaking and Christmas Time masses interrupted but there were no reports of damage. The quake struck in Batangas province on the primary island of Luzon at a depth of 114 kilometers (70 miles) at 7:43 a.m. local period (2343 GMT), regarding to USGS.
The agency primarily said the quake's strength was 6.2 and 108 kilometers deep. In the coastal metropolis of Calatagan, about 90 kilometers south of Manila and nearby the epicenter, people attending mass remained relaxed as the earthquake hit, police chief Major Carlo Caceres advised AFP.
"There is a pause found in the church service, however, the people didn't panic," Caceres said. "This area is normally quake-prone and persons are more or less applied to them." There were no reports of damage or casualties in the area, he added. "Any office furniture and apparatus swayed, but nothing at all was broken," stated policeman Allan Megano in the local community of Balayan. The Philippines is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of extreme seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
