6.8-magnitude earthquake hits off Philippines' Mindanao: USGS

MANILA: A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the southern Philippines on Saturday, but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage, said the United States Geological Survey.

The shallow quake hit just before 6:30 am (2230 GMT) about 20 kilometres (12 miles) away from the village of Barcelona on the east of Mindanao island, USGS said.

A series of aftershocks were felt in some areas in Mindanao, with the strongest at 5.9 magnitude about 36 kilometres east of Barcelona, according to USGS.

The local seismological agency said no damage was expected from the earthquake.

In Lingig municipality, where Barcelona is located, local disaster officer Ian Onsing said he was woken by the tremor.

"The shaking was quite strong. The things around here were moving. I guess, the shaking took around 10-15 seconds. So far, there are no reported casualties or damages. We are now monitoring the shores for any rough movement," Onsing told AFP over the telephone.

"Aftershocks are happening here every after two minutes, but we're glad it's not as strong as the earthquake this morning," Onsing said.

Philippines is an earthquake prone country

Earthquakes regularly strike the Philippines, which sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of intense seismic and volcanic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Most earthquakes are too weak to be felt by humans but strong and destructive that come at random with no technology available to predict when and where they will happen.

In December, a 7.6-magnitude quake struck off Mindanao, briefly triggering a tsunami warning that sent residents along the east coast of the island fleeing buildings, evacuating a hospital and seeking higher ground. At least three people died.

Image of an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck the Philippines last year used for representation