6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes Philippines

MANILA - A 6.1-magnitude earthquake jolted southern Philippines on Oct 17, 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,” Mr Cadalena said.

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

It came a week after two 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

6.9-magnitude 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 South-east Asia and across the Pacific basin.

An 8.0-magnitude quake off Mindanao island’s south-west coast in 1976 unleashed a tsunami that left 8,000 people dead or missing, the Philippines’ deadliest natural disaster. AFP