MANILA, Philippines—An earthquake struck northern Luzon a few hours before the New Year, the US Geological Survey reported.
The agency said on its website that the quake occurred on Thursday at 8:22 p.m. with a magnitude of 5.0.
It estimated the epicenter at 130 kilometers southeast of Basco, Batanes, with a depth of 33.2 km.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) detected an earthquake in Mindanao earlier in the day at 9:46 a.m.
The quake was measured at magnitude 3.8 with the epicenter estimated at 26 km northwest of Dipolog City. It had a depth of 47 km and was tectonic in origin, Phivolcs said.
The quake was felt at Intensity 3 in Dipolog City, Intensity 2 in Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte, and Intensity 1 in Dumaguete City and Sibulan, Zamboanguita, Bayawan City and Valencia in Negros Oriental.
No damage or aftershocks were reported. Alcuin Papa