Earthquake magnitude 6 shakes Philippines

An earthquake measuring six magnitude on the Richter Scale shook the capital and parts of the northern Philippines. There are no immediate reports of damages or injuries. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology chief Renato Solidum said movement in the Manila Trench off the country’s western coast set off the earthquake Wednesday but it occurred deep under the ocean floor and did not cause any destruction. Solidum said that the quake was felt in metropolitan Manila and in the nearby provinces of Zambales, Bulacan, Pangasinan and in the mountain resort city of Baguio. The Philippines is located in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. A 7.7-magnitude quake killed nearly 2,000 people in Luzon in 1990.