Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: A 6.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the southern parts of the Philippines on Wednesday, the US Geological Service reported, with local authorities warning of aftershocks and possible human and material damage.
The quake occurred at 6:44 pm (1044 GMT) near Monkayo municipality in the province of Davao de Oro on Mindanao island. No immediate reports of significant damage or casualties were reported.
“It was quick and lasted for about 15 to 20 seconds,” said police Corporal Lucita Ambrocio, who was based in the nearby municipality of New Bataan
“After 10 minutes, our colleagues went back to the building,” said Ambrocio, who rushed outside of the police station along with her colleagues when it started shaking.
“I checked the premises and saw a small crack in the barracks wall.”
Quake in southern Philippines
Earthquakes are a routine occurrence in the Philippines, which is situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” an arc of intense seismic as well as volcanic activity which stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
The nation’s civil defense office regularly holds drills simulating earthquake scenarios along active fault lines.
