Earthquake rocks Philippines on Christmas Day

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked Philippines on Friday, US Geological Survey said. Residents of Manila reported buildings shaking and Christmas Day masses were interrupted. There were no reports of damage.

The earthquake struck Batangas province on Luzon island at a depth of 114 kilometres. The quake struck at 23:43 GMT.

The agency initially said the quake's strength was 6.2 and 108 kilometres deep.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

In the coastal city of Calatagan, about 90 kilometres south of Manila and near the epicentre, people attending mass remained calm as the earthquake hit, police chief Major Carlo Caceres told AFP.

"There was a pause in the church service, but the people did not panic," Caceres said.

"This area is quake-prone and people are more or less used to them."

There were no reports of damage or casualties in the area, he added.

"The office furniture and equipment swayed, but nothing was broken," said policeman Allan Megano in the nearby town of Balayan.

The Philippines is situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

(With AFP inputs)