5.6 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northern Philippines: Report

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck the northern Philippines on Wednesday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said, as authorities warned of damage and aftershock from the tremor.

The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), GFZ said.

Philippine seismology agency PHIVOLCS said the quake struck the northern town of Bangui in Ilocos province and warned of aftershocks and damage from the quake.

There were no immediate reports of damage from the tremor.

Earthquakes are common in the Philippines, which lies on the “Ring of Fire”, a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that is prone to seismic activity.