WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) - A strong earthquake of 7.0 magnitude struck in the ocean off the east coast of the Philippines on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake, which struck at 10:11 p.m. local time (1411 GMT), was centered about 116 miles (187 km) east-southeast of Pandan, Catanduanes, at a depth of 20.5 miles (33 km), USGS said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a Pacific-wide tsunami was not expected, but it noted that earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that affect areas within 60 miles (100 km) of the epicenter.

(Reporting by Eric Beech, Editing by Frances Kerry)

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