The earthquake hit the central regions of the Philippines in the early hours of Thursday. No injuries were reported, however, the authorities warn about the possibility of recurring underground shocks.
"As per the latest information collected from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Masbate (PDRRMO), the 61 houses damaged reported are in Batuan, San Fernando and Palanas towns. The 15 schools' infrastructure are in Uson and Batuan towns which are mostly elementary schools. Also, 16 computer sets, 10 pieces of furniture and 130 educational materials were damaged," Gremil Alexis Naz said, as quoted by the Philippine media.
The Philippines is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region which is particularly prone to tectonic activity and earthquakes. This 40,000 kilometer (25,000 mile) strip of volcanoes and tectonic faults encircles the Pacific Ocean, stretching along the coasts of South and North America to the southern regions of Alaska then turning toward Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia, and ending in the area of New Guinea, New Zealand and the south-western part of Oceania. About 90% of the world's approximately 1,500 known volcanoes are located in the Pacific Ring of Fire. About 90% of earthquakes occur in this region.