Strong earthquake hits north Philippines

An earthquake of 6.3 magnitude on the Richter scale shook the Luzon island in north of the Philippines on Sunday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Philvolcs.

The quake occurred at 13:28 (local time), Vietnam News Agency, VNA, quoted the Philvolcs as saying. Its epicentre was 161 km deep and 5km southwest of Batangas province on the Luzon island, according to the institute.

Office workers and students in the capital of Manila were briefly evacuated from their buildings after feeling the swaying and shaking, but no damage was reported.

The US Geological Survey measured the magnitude at 6.2 on the Richter scale and the epicentre was 168km deep.

The Philippines lies on the Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur, said the VNA report.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.