Philippines warns of possible waves after offshore quake

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A strong offshore earthquake jolted eastern Philippine provinces on Tuesday night and seismologists warned villagers to stay away from the coast because it could generate waves of less than a meter (3 feet) in height.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the earthquake, which the U.S. Geological Survey said measured magnitude 6.2 and was located at a depth of 15 kilometers (9 miles).

The Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it was centered 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Gigmoto town on the island province of Catanduanes.

The Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where many of the world’s earthquakes occur. It is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

A magnitude 7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines in 1990.