Philippines warns of possible waves after offshore quake

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A strong offshore earthquake has jolted eastern Philippine provinces and seismologists have warned villagers living by the sea to stay away from the coast because it could generate waves of less than a meter (3 feet) in height. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the earthquake, which the U.S. Geological Survey says measured magnitude 6.2. The Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology says it was centered 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Gigmoto town on the island province of Catanduanes. The Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where many of the world’s earthquakes occur.