Philippines: A magnitude-5.2 offshore earthquake occurs in the Luzon Strait at around 20:55 April 23

A magnitude-5.2 earthquake occurred in the Luzon Strait west of the Batanes Islands at around 20:55 PHST April 23. The epicenter was about 64 km (40 miles) west-southwest of Basco. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 38 km (24 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of far northern Philippines and far southern Taiwan. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.