Strong 5.7 magnitude earthquake hits main island

A strong earthquake struck the main Philippine island overnight Sunday through Monday, with no immediate damage reported, according to the United States Institute for Geological Studies (USGS) and local authorities. The earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.7, was recorded at a depth of 98 km, off the province of Batangas located on the island of Luzon, at 1:12 local time (5:12 GMT), according to the USGS .

Residents of Manila, the capital, were awakened by the tremors. The Philippine seismological agency warned of possible damage and aftershocks. But the authorities said they had not been informed of any damage so far. “It was really strong,” said Jose Clyde Yayong, a disaster management official in the city of Tagaytay, in neighboring Cavite province.

“So far, there are no incidents linked to the earthquake”

“So far, there are no incidents related to the earthquake,” he added. Leonardo Tristan, an agent of the disaster management services of the town of Looc, on the island of Mindoro, located south of that of Luzon, said the force of the earthquake caused many residents to rush out of their homes. them.

“My wife was screaming: there is an earthquake! », He said. The Philippines is regularly shaken by earthquakes, the archipelago being located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin. .