Moderate earthquake shakes the northern Philippines

Moderate earthquake shakes the northern Philippines

2010-10-04 11:18:23 GMT+7 (ICT)

BABUYAN ISLAND, PHILIPPINES (BNO NEWS) -- A moderate earthquake shook the northern Philippines on Monday morning, seismologists said, but there were no reports of damage or casualties.

The 5.8-magnitude earthquake was centered approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Babuyan Island, an archipelago located in the Luzon Strait north of Luzon island in the Philippines. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

The agency said the maximum reported intensity was 'moderately strong' on Calayan Island. It said no damage is expected, but warned for the possibility of smaller aftershocks.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the strength of the earthquake at 5.7 on the Richter scale, slightly weaker than the locally reported magnitude. It said some 150 people may have felt strong earthquake shaking, but said notable damage from the earthquake was unlikely.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the earthquake.

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