Magnitude 6.2 quake rocks Philippine island of Luzon, no tsunami warning

The quake struck at 1:28 pm (0528 GMT) 10.7 km southeast of Nasugbu, in the province of Batangas, at a depth of 168 km.

Philippines earthquake
Students use their hands to cover their heads as they evacuate their school premises after an earthquake hit the northern island of Luzon and was felt in the Metro Manila, Philippines August 11, 2017. Reuters

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake, which was initially measured at 6.6, hit the Philippines' northern island of Luzon on Friday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. However there were no reports of deaths or injuries.

The authorities added that the tremor was felt in the capital Manila. The shaking buildings forced the evacuation of offices and schools.

According to USGS, the quake struck at 1:28 pm (0528 GMT) 10.7 km southeast of Nasugbu, in the province of Batangas, at a depth of 168 km.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology did not issue any tsunami warning and said that it expected aftershocks. The authorities put the magnitude of the quake at 6.3.

The Philippines sits on the highly seismically active zone "Pacific Ring of Fire" where many continental plates on the earth's crust keep colliding. Hence, it experiences frequent earthquakes.

In February, a 6.5-magnitude quake killed eight people and left more than 250 injured outside the southern city of Surigao. The following month a 5.9-magnitude tremor killed one person there in March.

The last lethal earthquake to hit the country before the February 10 quake was a 7.1-magnitude tremor that left over 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches when it struck the central islands in October 2013.

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