Magnitude 5.7 earthquake jolts Philippines

Manila: A strong magnitude 5.7 earthquake shook eastern Philippines on Monday morning.

The tremor hit at 11.39 am local time (3.39 UTC), with the epicentre seen at 23 km offshore north of Bugko village in Northern Samar, an island in the country’s east.

The quake occurred at an estimated shallow depth of 37km (23 miles), according to the US Geological Survey.

It was felt widely in the area. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicentre than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.

The German quake tracker GPZ Helmholtz Centre also reported the quake, but with a slightly lower magnitude of 5.6.

The epicentre is about 100km east of the active Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon province. There were no immediate reports of tsunami or damage.