MANILA (REUTERS) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 struck south of the Philippine capital early on Wednesday (May 12), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

The agency said aftershocks could be expected, but the earthquake, which struck at a depth of 112km, was unlikely to cause damage.

"Because this is deep, a large area experienced the quake," Dr Renato Solidum, head of Phivolcs, told DZMM radio station, adding that there was no threat of a tsunami.

The earthquake's epicentre was in Mindoro province and it was felt in the capital, Manila.

The South-east Asian country is on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes, particularly in the south.