Magnitude 5.5 quake hits Sulu Sea; no damage but aftershocks seen

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—A magnitude 5.5 quake took place at the Sulu Sea around 9:31 a.m. on Wednesday.

Engineer Rommel Allan Labayog of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) here said the epicenter of the quake was 91 kilometers southwest of Pangutaran, Sulu.

It had a depth of 17 km and was felt at Intensity III in Languyan, Tawi-tawi; Intensity II in Isabela City in Basilan and Intensity I in this city. (Intensity 3 means many people indoors feel the tremor but hardly anybody feels the earthquake outside.  Intensity II means people indoors feel the shaking if they are at rest or on the upper floor of their homes or buildings.  Intensity 1 means people in affected areas do not feel any movement at all.)

Phivolcs said on its website that it was not expecting damage from the quake, which was tectonic in origin, but it was expecting aftershocks.