DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - A magnitude-6. 1 earthquake shook part of southern Philippines on Wednesday afternoon, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology put the intensity of the quake at magnitude-5.8. The quake, which struck at 02:47 p.m. local time (0647 GMT) from a depth of 69.6 km, was traced some 115 km south-southeast of Hinatuan town in Mindanao's Surigao del Sur province, the USGS said on its website. The tremor was felt as far as Davao City to the south and Butuan City to the north for at least 10 seconds, local residents affected by the tremor said.
"It was so strong that I was even roused from my sleep," Gladdys Briones, a housewife from Tagum city, told Xinhua. Desiderio Cabanlit, a Davao City-based official with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said that the quake was too deep to cause any damage or injuries. No tsunami warning was issued. According to Cabanlit, the quake was of tectonic origin. The Philippines sits in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates collide resulting to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activities.
