Strong earthquake strokes northern Philippines
02/03/2010 16:49
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit the northern part of Tuguegarao City Tuesday morning. No damage or casualties have been reported as the temblor took place in the offshore area of Luzon island.
Tuguegarao, Philippines - While Philippine President Gloria Arroyo was delivering her speech in Tuguegarao City in northern Philippines, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit the offshore area 130 kilometers north of Tuguegarao City in Luzon Island.
The fairly strong earthquake happened Tuesday morning local time according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivocs) The epicenter is located at 18.49 degrees north latitude and 122.51 degrees east longitude with a depth of 21 km, the Phivocs said.
There has been no reports of any casualties and damages so far. A very strong earthquake happened in southern Philippines in 1976, killing more than 5,000 people. In June last year, a much stronger earthquake happened in Mindanao, southern Philippines with a recorded magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale. No casualties were reported.
The Philippines lies on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a string of islands on the Pacific Ocean rim that were formed by the eruptions of undersea volcanoes.
It is regularly hit by earthquakes, and most of them are low in magnitude and cause little damage.
(original article appeared @ Digital Journal )