A 6-magnitude earthquake strikes central Philippines

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Samar in the central Philippines today, according to the US Geological Institute.

The institute said that the earthquake was detected at 6:09 GMT, at a depth of 73.3 kilometers, and at a distance of about nine kilometers from the coastal town of San Julian in the province.

For his part, a police officer told Agence France-Presse that the earthquake was “strong and sudden,” noting that there have been no reports so far of any casualties.

He added, “Here, at the police station, one of the beams supporting the ceiling broke, and I saw some pieces of furniture moving,” pointing out that he went out with his colleagues into the street for fear of aftershocks.

The Philippines witnesses almost daily earthquakes, as it is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity that extends from Japan all the way to Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Basin.

Last October, eastern Mindanao was hit by two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.4 and 6.7, killing about eight people.

A few days ago, the Philippines recorded a 6.9-magnitude earthquake, which killed 76 people and destroyed or damaged 72,000 homes in Cebu province in the central Philippines, according to government figures.