Magnitude 6.1 quake hits southern Philippines

An earthquake struck near Dapa municipality in the Surigao del Norte province of the Philippines on Friday. Photo / 123rf

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake jolted the southern Philippines Friday, the United States Geological Survey said, a week after two powerful quakes hit the country.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, provincial rescuer Ralph Cadalena told AFP.

“We felt a sudden strong shake, but it was only for a very short time,” Cadalena said.

The tremor struck near Dapa municipality in Surigao del Norte province at a depth of about 69km, USGS reported.

It came a week after quakes of 7.4 and 6.7 magnitude shook the eastern section of the main Mindanao island, killing at least eight people.

These followed a magnitude 6.9 earthquake days earlier that killed 76 people and destroyed or damaged 72,000 houses in Cebu province in central Philippines, according to Government figures.

Earthquakes are a near-daily occurrence in the Philippines, which is situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

An 8.0-magnitude quake off Mindanao island’s southwest coast in 1976 unleashed a tsunami that left 8000 people dead or missing, the Philippines’ deadliest natural disaster.

– Agence France-Presse