Powerful earthquake hits western Philippines

An earthquake measuring 5

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter Scale jolted the western coast of the Philippines, the Hong Kong Observatory said this morning.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The earthquake was centered over the South China Sea about 90 miles west-southwest of Manila. t hit Sunday at 8.46 p.m. in the Philippines, the observatory said.

A magnitude 5 earthquake can cause considerable damage.

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The Philippines is in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.