A magnitude 6 earthquake has struck Samar island in the central region, and authorities warned of aftershocks but said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The Philippine seismology agency Phivolcs said the earthquake hit near San Julian town in Eastern Samar province at a depth of 56km and warned of possible aftershocks from the tremor.
Thomas Campomanes, the disaster officer for Eastern Samar, said there were some early reports of superficial cracks in some buildings, but none of major damage.
There were also no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities from disaster officials on the ground.
He said the earthquake was strong and lasted for around 30 seconds.
“We were like being dribbled up and down,” Campomanes said by phone.
Employees at a local government building have evacuated and are still outside while engineers assess the site, he added.
The Philippines is in the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common. — Reuters
