Earthquake hits off

Earthquake hits off northern RP

HONG KONG (AFP): An undersea earthquake measuring five on the Richter scale struck yesterday between northern Philippines and Taiwan, the Hong Kong Royal Observatory said.

The quake was recorded at 0408 GMT with its epicenter in the Luzon Strait, about 160 kilometers south of Kao-shiung in Taiwan.An earthquake measuring five can cause considerable damage in populated areas.

Earlier Tuesday the Indonesian meteorological office in Jakarta reported an earthquake of 5.5 on the Richter scale off the western coast of Sumatra island.

The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 1236 GMT on Monday, was about 190 kilometers southeast of the city of Padang in West Sumatra.