A 6.7-magnitude earthquake kills at least one in the Philippines. (Photo: AP) Hanoi (VNA) – A 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook central Philippines on August 18,damaging buildings and roads and killing at least one person.
According tothe US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck southeast of Masbate Islandin the Bicol region 8:30am (7:03am in Vietnam) at the depth of 33km, with adozen of aftershocks.
The quake wasstrong and there are a lot of damaged houses, said an official from Cataingan townon Masbate, a few kilometres west of the epicentre.
In theneighbouring Palanas town, the police said that several patients, includingpregnant women about to go into labour, were evacuated from a hospital as aprecaution in case of aftershocks.
in the city ofIloilo about 400km southwest of Masbate, residents ran out onto the streets.
ThePhilippines lies along the "Pacific Ring of Fire" which is surrounded by numerous active faultsand trenches on both sides of the archipelago. The country has frequent seismicactivity.
The PhilippineInstitute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) records an average of 20earthquakes a day and 100 to 150 earthquakes are felt per year.
In Decemberlast year, the country’s Mindanao island was struck by a 6.8-magnitudeearthquake, leaving three peopledead and injuring many others./.
VNA
