Philippine island of Luzon rocked by 6.2-magnitude earthquake, impact felt in Manila
The Philippines sits on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur
A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the region south of the Philippine capital on Friday, causing buildings in Manila and nearby areas to sway, seismologists and witnesses said.
The quake struck just off the coast of Lian town at 1.28pm, at a relatively deep 173km, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
The US Geological Survey measured it at 6.2 magnitude.
“Due to its depth we do not expect any damage,” the institute’s director Renato Solidum said on government television.
A rescue official at the town closest to the epicentre also reported no damage or casualties. But buildings in Manila and other nearby areas swayed, with employees of Malacanang presidential palace and other government buildings in central Manila and the nearby town of Bacoor evacuated, witnesses said.
“City hall employees as well as those transacting business there were ordered to leave the building as a precaution,” government lawyer Bugsy del Rosario said from Bacoor.