Philippines earthquake: Magnitude 6.7 quake hits off Mindanao

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake has struck off the southern Philippines, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has said.

The USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of 10km, about 68km east of Baculin, a village in the town of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur province on the island of Mindanao.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded the tremor at magnitude 6.4 and a depth of 23km, warning of possible damage and aftershocks.

Police and disaster officials in areas near the epicentre said there were no immediate reports of casualties or structural damage.

"It was not that strong, but people rushed outside," said Joey Monato, the local police chief of Hinatuan.

Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol said the epicentre was less than 10km from the site of two strong earthquakes in October that killed seven people. He added that a tsunami warning was unlikely.

"It will not generate destructive tsunami waves because it is deep," Bacolcol said.

The Philippines lies along the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a zone of frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

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