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Tuesday, October 09, 2004
Manila plunges into darkness after quake (12:50 a.m.)
MANILA -- A strong earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale shook the Manila and nearby areas late Friday, knocking out power in some communities and driving frightened residents' outdoors, officials said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, Allan Virtucio of the National Disaster Coordinating Council said.
Government seismologist Leonila Bautista said the Manila trench moved at 10:36 pm (1436 GMT) some 94 kilometers (58.3 miles) beneath the earth's surface. The epicenter was focused on Manila Bay.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said intensity 5 was recorded in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro.
The quake was felt across a wide area from the center to the south of the main Philippine island of Luzon and the island of Mindoro south of the capital.
The quake was strong enough to make people unsteady but was not expected to have damaged buildings, Bautista said.
Manila residents ran out of their homes as the quake shook the city and nearby provinces, radio stations reported.
Motorists also stopped their vehicles when they felt the ground shake.
Parts of Manila and the province of Rizal east of here were blacked out as the quake toppled power lines but utility crews were working to restore electricity, the civil defense office said.
Bautista said the quake could be followed by equally powerful aftershocks.
In relation of the earthquake, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a tsunami warnings for Alaska and U.S. West Coast. (AFP/Sunnex) |
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