Magnitude 5.2 quake hits Batangas province

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake shook buildings in Manila on Friday, the US Geological Survey said, with local authorities warning of possible damage and aftershocks.

The shallow quake struck about 100 kilometers south of Manila at 8:24 a.m. and sent students and office workers fleeing from their buildings.

“So far everything’s okay. No casualties although this is the epicenter,” said Rafael Cuevas, a disaster agency official in Calaca City in Batangas province.

READ: Phivolcs: Magnitude 5.0 earthquake hits Calaca town in Batangas

“We felt a strong shake … for less than 10 seconds.” Mabini municipality disaster chief Arnold Panopio said: “At first it was just a slight jolt then it became strong then stopped immediately.”

Panopio said no casualties or damage had been reported, but a local high school with around 2,000 students had suspended classes as a precaution.

In Manila, students wearing hard hats and office workers assembled outside buildings, waiting for the all clear to go back inside. —AFP