Moderate earthquake rattles southeastern the Philippines, no damage

Moderate earthquake rattles southeastern the Philippines, no damage

2010-12-08 14:36:49 GMT+7 (ICT)

HINATUAN, PHILIPPINES (BNO NEWS) -- A moderate earthquake struck off the east coast of the Filipino island of Mindanao on Wednesday afternoon, seismologists said, but there were no reports of damage or casualties.

The 5.8-magnitude earthquake at 2.47 p.m. local time (0647 GMT) was centered about 115 kilometers (70 miles) south-southeast of Hinatuan, a municipality in the eastern province of Surigao del Sur. It struck about 92 kilometers (57 miles) deep, making it an earthquake of intermediate depth, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the strength of the earthquake at 6.1 on the Richter scale, slightly stronger than the Filipino report.

The USGS estimated that approximately 784,000 people may have felt moderate shaking, which could potentially result in light damage. More than 5 million others may have felt light shaking, which would unlikely result in damage. "There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage," the USGS said.

Residents in the eastern region of Mindanao reported feeling the moderate earthquake, especially in the municipality of Prosperidad where the strongest shaking was recorded.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, and no tsunami alerts were issued.

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