2 Quakes Hit Philippines

Two strong earthquakes struck the central Philippines just hours apart Saturday, damaging houses and knocking out power. There were no immediate reports of casualties, officials said.

The second, stronger temblor, of magnitude 6.2, struck at 7:01 p.m. and was set off by movement in the Philippine Fault that runs north to south, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

It hit sparsely populated rural areas, government seismologist Ishmael Narag said.

The first quake, of magnitude 5.5, occurred at 1:47 p.m.

Damage was reported in Masbate, one of at least seven central provinces where the earthquakes were felt. Masbate is about 230 miles southeast of Manila, the capital.

Authorities reported that the second earthquake collapsed an empty day-care center beside a mosque in Masbate’s capital city.