Earthquakes jolt Japan, Myanmar

Hours after a 5.5-magnitude earthquake rocked Eastern Visayas in the Philippines early Sunday morning, two earthquakes – also within the magnitude-5 range – jolted parts of Japan and Myanmar.

The US Geological Survey indicated the Myanmar quake had a magnitude of 5.1 with epicenter traced 76 kilometers north-northeast of Malwaik, a town over 600 kilometers from the Burmese capital of Nay Pyi Taw, "GMA's I M Ready" tweeted.

Two minutes after the Myanmar quake, USGS recorded at about at 1:39 p.m. another one – with 5.0 magnitude – near Izu Islands off the coast of Tokyo.

ALERT: 5.0-magnitude earthquake rocks off Izu Islands, Japan at 1:39 PM (Manila time) today, December 21 | via @USGS pic.twitter.com/1OLcrEbFQ5

— I M Ready (@IMReadyPH) December 21, 2014

However, the United States Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a warning after the Japan quake.

Japan is known to be frequently hit by earthquakes because it belongs to the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area around the Pacific Ocean where a lot of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. — Raffy Cabristante/LBG, GMA News