Manila, Philippines:
A robust earthquake hit off the Philippines’ primary island Monday, but there have been no instant reports of harm, the US Geological Survey and neighborhood officials mentioned.
The deep 5.7-magnitude quake struck off Batangas province on Luzon island at 1:12 am (1712 GMT), with residents in the nearby capital of Manila woken by their buildings shaking.
The quake was recorded at a depth of 98 kilometres (60 miles), the USGS mentioned. The neighborhood seismological agency warned of harm and aftershocks.
Deep quakes have a tendency to do much less harm than shallow tremors.
But authorities close to the epicentre mentioned they had not received any reports of harm.
“It was really strong,” Jose Clyde Yayong, a disaster officer in Tagaytay city in the neighbouring province of Cavite.
“So far there are no untoward incidents relating to the earthquake.”
Leonardo Tristan, a disaster officer in Looc town on Occidental Mindoro island, mentioned the force of the quake sent some residents rushing outdoors.
“My wife was shouting ‘there’s an earthquake!” Tristan told AFP.
The Philippines is routinely rocked by quakes due to its place on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan via Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.