The US Geological Survey has revealed that a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the Philippines on Thursday, as local authorities warned of aftershocks and possible damage.
Africa Today News, New York reports that the earthquake struck at a depth of 124 kilometres (77 miles) at about 10:00 am (0200 GMT) in waters off Calatagan municipality in Batangas province near the capital Manila.
No casualties or major damage were reported after the quake, which struck out at sea at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.21 miles) and was felt in nearby provinces, the Philippine seismology agency said.
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Operations of the three elevated railway lines in Manila were stopped due to the earthquake, the transport ministry said.
‘Railways and airports had suspension in operations. So far, no report of major effect of the quake and we hope it remains this way,’ Civil defence spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro, told GMA news channel.
Ceiling lights were seen shaking at a hotel in one of Manila’s business districts where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr was speaking to reporters after attending an international trade forum, according to a Reuters witness.
Peter Oliver Palacio, mayor of Calatagan, a town just 5km from the epicentre, told DZMM radio the quake was dizzying and added the town’s engineering department had been instructed to check for damage.
The seismology agency initially recorded a magnitude 6.2 earthquake, but later revised it to 6.3. It said it expects damage and aftershocks.
In another report, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin hinted that he could order his troops to try to seize more land in Ukraine to protect Russian territory on the border, while asserting Ukrainian forces have suffered ‘catastrophic’ losses in a new counter-offensive.
The Russian president spoke in-depth about the conflict on Tuesday in front of military journalists and bloggers, just as Ukrainian officials assert they have already taken a number of villages in the initial stages of their counterattack.
He said that over recent days of fierce fighting, Ukraine lost 160 tanks and more than 360 other armoured vehicles, whereas just 54 tanks have been lost by Russia since Kyiv launched the new offensive. These assertions were not readily corroborated.