Magnitude 6 Earthquake Jolts Southern Philippines

Manila: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology revised the magnitude of an earthquake down to 6, which rattled the southern Philippines on Wednesday. The Institute first reported the magnitude of the quake as 6.1. It said the quake, which occurred at 6:44 p.m. local time, hit at a depth of 11 km, about 14 km northeast of New Bataan town in Davao De Oro province, Xinhua news agency reported.

An updated report said the earthquake hit at a depth of 27 km, about 12 km northeast of New Bataan town. The institute said that the tectonic quake will trigger aftershocks and cause damage. There were no initial reports of damage or casualties.

The institute said that the quake was also felt strongly in Davao City and many areas in Mindanao, the Philippines` second-largest island. The Philippines has frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire".