Magnitude 7.2 quake strikes off Sulu

MANILA, Philippines – A magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit Celebes Sea off the coast of Tongkil, Sulu yesterday afternoon, state seismologists said. 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said aftershocks are expected, but allayed fears of a tsunami. 

The quake, which was tectonic in origin and had a depth of 625 kilometers, struck some 223 kilometers southeast of Tongkil at around 2:13 p.m. It was felt at Intensity 2 in General Santos City.  

“The quake is located too deep inside the earth,” Phivolcs said.