MANILA, Philippines, June 1 (UPI) -- An earthquake registering 6.4 on the Richter scale was detected Sunday in the Pacific Ocean off the Philippines coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
There were no immediate injuries or heavy damage reported from the quake, athough there were reports of tremors felt as far away as southern Taiwan, some 340 miles away, Philippines disaster officials told CNN.
Officials put the epicenter at about 50 miles west of the Batan Islands capital, Basco.
The Philippines are archipelagic islands in Southeast Asia that are prone to frequent earthquakes, CNN said.
More than 1,500 people died from a 7.7 magnitude quake on the largest island, Luzon, in July 1990 and at least 8,000 people died in a 7.9 temblor in 1976 on the eastern most island of Mindanao.
