Phivolcs allays tsunami fears from Japan quake

State seismologists allayed fears of a destructive tsunami reaching the Philippines after a powerful quake rocked Japan Friday morning. But the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said it will continue to monitor the aftermath of Friday's quake. "Right now, our data shows the quake was not capable of generating a destructive tsunami that can reach the Philippines," Phivolcs seismology department OIC Ishmael Narag said in an interview on dzBB radio. Narag said the quake occurred at 8:05 a.m. Friday, Manila time. Citing data from Phivolcs, he said the quake measured magnitude 6.7. "Ang 6.7 quake na shallow, is capable of generating a destructive tsunami kung nakaka-cause ito ng underwater landslide. We don't know if it will cause, we had a big quake already," Narag said. The United States Geological Survey measured it at magnitude 6.3. The USGS said the quake was recorded at 8:05 a.m., with the epicenter off the east coast of Honshu in Japan. It said the epicenter was 270 km east of Iwaki; 287 km east-southeast of Sendai; 308 km east of Fukushima; or 412 km east-northeast of Tokyo. — LBG, GMA News