Philippines: A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.1 on the Ritcher scale hit the central Philippine province on Thursday.

According to the officials, several people came out of their homes at night. Moreover, dozens of patients were evacuated from the hospital and it caused minor damage to a government coliseum and business establishments.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage from the magnitude 6.1 quake that was set off by a local fault line at a depth of 10 kilometres (6 miles), about 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) west of the coastal town of Batuan in Masbate province, officials said.’

According to the Masbate provincial disaster-mitigation officer, Adonis Dilao said that the quake struck about two hours after midnight, rousing many people from their sleep.

“The first jolt was really strong followed by shaking that woke me up and my baby,” Red Cross officer MJ Oxemer said. “We could hear the rumbling of the ground,” the officer added.

Patients were evacuated and later bought back: Dilao

Amid the strong tremors hit the central province, several patients from a Masbate provincial hospital were evacuated but later brought back after the quake caused some cracks in the three-story building.

A part of the ceiling on a small government coliseum in Masbate city was also damaged, Dilao said.

Speaking to the media, the disaster-mitigation officer said that cracks were also spotted in the concrete pillars of some business establishments, including grocery and drug stores in Masbate city’s downtown area, and in some houses.

Although business owners have discretion when to reopen, Dilao said they should heed the advice of government safety inspectors because at least two strong aftershocks were felt following the quake. “Unlike typhoons, which can be predicted to give people time to brace, earthquakes can just suddenly hit,” he said.

The quake knocked out power in many areas of Masbate and nearby Ticao Island, and some school classes were suspended, the Office of Civil Defence said, adding that damage assessments by local officials were underway.

Also Read: New Zealand: 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northwest Region, Tremors Felt In Wellington

Philippines lies along the Pacific’s ‘Ring of Fire’

The Philippines lies along the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire,’ an arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. Each year it is also hit by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries. In 1990, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines.