A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 struck off the coast of the southern Philippines on Wednesday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Authorities confirmed that no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage.
The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.7, occurred at a depth of 58.5 kilometers (36 miles) and was located approximately 27 kilometers east of the town of Santiago on the island of Mindanao, the USGS said.
Local residents reported feeling brief but noticeable shaking. Nash Paragas, a rescuer in the eastern province of Davao Oriental, told AFP that there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. “There was shaking. I saw some of the cars moving, but I think it was only for a short time, around five seconds,” he said.
The region has experienced significant seismic activity in recent months. Eastern Mindanao was shaken by two strong earthquakes measuring 7.4 and 6.7 in October, which resulted in at least eight fatalities. Just days earlier, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck central Philippines, killing 76 people and damaging or destroying approximately 72,000 houses in Cebu province, according to government data.
Earthquakes occur frequently in the Philippines, which lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active zone extending from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
