Earth Quake Hits Philippines—Reports

 

Earth Quake Hits Philippines

A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao early Saturday, US seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The US Geological Survey said the quake had a depth of 63 kilometres (39 miles) and hit at 02:17 am (1817 GMT Friday) some 86 kilometres east of the city of Butuan.
The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, with an average of 20 typhoons battering the island nation every year.
It also sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire— a belt around the Pacific Ocean dotted by active volcanoes and unstable ocean trenches.
A 7.6-magnitude quake hit the country’s east coast on August 31, triggering a tsunami alert that forced more than 130,000 to flee their homes and causing a landslide that killed one person.