SINGAPORE: A magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit central and eastern Philippine provinces on Tuesday, injuring at least five people and causing panic among residents, officials said. There were no reported deaths as of Tuesday early afternoon. The epicenter was located north-east of Masbate City in Masbate province, 390 kilometers south-east of Manila, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. The quake struck at 7:06 am (2306 GMT) and rocked the provinces of Sorsogon, Albay, Samar, Aklan and Iloilo, the institute said. Masbate City Mayor Socrates Tuason said that no major damages to buildings or houses were reported. Panic struck children who were going to school at the time of the quake, Masbate Vice Governor Vince Revil said. Classes were suspended to allow authorities to inspect buildings for damage, Revil said. Last month, a magnitude 6.9 quake struck the central province of Negros Oriental, killing 51 and leaving 63 missing and feared dead. The Philippines, located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, suffered its worst earthquake in 1990 when a magnitude 7.7 tremor killed nearly 2,000 people on the northern island of Luzon. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/4slIk Tags: Earthquake, Philippines Section: East Asia, Latest News