Earthquake of magnitude 6 hits Philippines

MANILA: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6 rocked the Philippines on Thursday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

The institute said the quake, which occurred at 2:10 a.m. local time, hit at a depth of 10 km, about 11 km southwest of Batuan town in Masbate province on the main island of Luzon, Xinhua news agency reported.

The quake was also felt in several areas in Luzon and central Philippines, including Legazpi City in Albay province, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, Negros Occidental, and Southern Leyte, the institute said.

There are no reports of damage or casualties.

The US Geological Survey put the earthquake's magnitude at 6.1 and a depth of 20 km.

The Philippines has frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire".