A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook southern Philippines island of Mindanao Saturday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The strong tremor struck at 12:37 pm (0437 GMT), off the coast, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) northeast of the town of Sarangani.
The quake had a depth of about 53 miles (85 km) and was tectonic in origin.
The quake was felt at Intensity IV at Mati & Taragona, Davao Oriental; General Santos City; Digos City; Sulop, Malalag, Sta Maria, Davao del Sur.
According to the Richter magnitude scale, an earthquake that registers at 6.0-6.9 is considered strong. It can be destructive in areas up to about 160 kilometers (99 mi) across in populated areas. There are only approximately 130 earthquakes of this magnitude seen annually across the globe.
The Philippines lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, which causes the country to have frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Much larger numbers of earthquakes of smaller magnitude occur very regularly due to the meeting of major tectonic plates in the region.
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