Earthquakes rock 2 locations in Asia

A powerful earthquake rocked Indonesia’s premier tourist island of Bali on Wednesday, killing one person, injuring at least two and triggering some panic, officials said.

The Meteorological and Geophysics Agency in Jakarta said the earthquake measured 5.5 on the Richter scale. Officials said the epicenter was near Denpasar, the island’s capital.

“People rushed out of their homes, they panicked. The quake was very strong and lasted a long time,” said Jumadi, head of the geophysics agency in Denpasar.

He said there had been no reports of any serious damage.

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The person killed was from Bali, a hospital official said. Residents said the man fell off a roof he was working on when the quake struck.

More than 1 million foreign tourists visited Bali last year, the majority holidaying on beaches that line the southern coast not far from Denpasar.

Bali is 600 miles east of Jakarta. Earthquakes often occur in Indonesia, occasionally causing widespread damage and loss of life.

6.2 quake in Manila, the Philippines
Hours later, residents of the Philippine capital Manila were jolted awake by a strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Nearby provinces on the main northern island of Luzon also reported feeling the temblor, which hit around 3:10 a.m. Thursday. Radio stations reported brief power outages and said residents of some areas scurried into the streets, fearing their houses might collapse.

Ramon Sanes of the Philippine Institute of Vulcanology and Seismology said the preliminary magnitude was measured at 6.2 and was caused by movement in the Manila Trench, near Mindoro south of Manila.

The Philippines is along the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake in 1990 killed nearly 2,000 people on Luzon.

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