Major 7.2 magnitude quake strikes Philippines: USGS
Source: http://news.yahoo.com
Manila (AFP) - A major 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck near one of
the Philippines key tourist hubs on Tuesday, the United States
Geological Survey reported.
The quake struck at 08:12 local time
(0012 GMT) some five kilometres (three miles) east of Balilihan, in the
Bohol region of the archipelago, at a depth of 56 kilometres, the agency
said.
The town lies across the Cebu Strait from the popular
tourist destination of Cebu City, the country's fifth most populous
city, about 60 kilometres (37 miles) away.
USGS issued a yellow
warning, after the quake saying "some casualties and damage are possible
and the impact should be relatively localised. Past yellow alerts have
required a local or regional level response."
The temblor was followed by two aftershocks, each measuring more than 5.0 in magnitude.
The
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a Pacific-wide tsunami
threat and there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The epicentre was 629 kilometres from the capital Manila.
Balilihan has a population of around 18,500, according to the town's official website.
The Philippines lies on the so-called Pacific ring of fire, a chain of islands that are prone to quakes and volcanic eruptions.
