July 7 (UPI) — At least two people died Thursday after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines, seismologists and authorities said.
The quake struck Leyte Island on Thursday morning at a depth of just 4 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was triggered by movement along the Philippine Fault.
Two people were reported dead, along with more than 100 injured. One was killed in a collapse of a three-story building, Kananga Mayor Rowena Codilla said. Others were initially trapped.
The earthquake struck off the coast of Jaro, a community adjacent to Karanga, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. No tsunami warning was issued.
“We ask our people, especially residents of affected areas, to stay calm and yet remain alert and vigilant for aftershocks as we assure them of immediate assistance by the government,” Ernesto Abella, spokesman for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, said in a statement. The government pledged to send relief to the area, which is about 560 miles from the capital of Manila.
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are commonplace in what geologists refer to as the Pacific Ring of Fire due to an abundance of tectonic activity.
