6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Central Philippines

On Thursday, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit the central Philippines, according to the US Geological Survey.

The quake struck off Masbate province in the centre of the archipelago nation shortly after 2:00 a.m. local time. The epicentre was located 11 kilometres (seven miles) from the nearest village of Miaga, in Uson municipality, on the province’s main island of Masbate.

The quake was described as strong and shallow and caused residents to flee their homes due to possible aftershocks.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of possible aftershocks and damage from the quake. However, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Masbate education department suspended classes for Thursday due to the continuous aftershocks being felt in the province.

Quakes are a regular occurrence in the Philippines, situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area with intense seismic and volcanic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Although most of these quakes are too weak to be felt by humans, strong and destructive ones come at random and can’t be predicted with the available technology.

The nation’s civil defence office regularly holds drills simulating earthquake scenarios along active fault lines.