Strong earthquake of magnitude of 6.7 strikes central Philippines

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 shook the central Philippines Tuesday night, sending people dashing out into streets, damaging a stone church and knocking out power in some areas.

The earthquake was centered about 17 kilometers (10 miles) northeast of Bogo city in Cebu province, and was caused by movement in a local fault. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it expected damage and aftershocks.

Power went out in the Cebu province town of Daanbantayan, where the stone church is located. The extent of the damage to the church was not immediately known.

The Philippines, one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean. The archipelago is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms each year.