6.0-magnitude earthquake rocks Philippines

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake jolted the southern Philippines on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said, with local authorities warning of aftershocks and possible damage.

The shallow quake struck at about 2:00 pm (0600 GMT), a few kilometres from Maragusan municipality in the mountainous gold-mining province of Davao de Oro on Mindanao island.

Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more harm than deeper ones, but there were no immediate confirmed reports of major damage.

An employee in the Maragusan disaster office told AFP that authorities were checking reports of a landslide on a national highway.

“We have not received any reports of other damage or casualties, but we are checking the villages around the town,” he added, declining to give his name.

“Things shook at the office but there was no damage.”

The quake lasted about 30 seconds and was followed by aftershocks, said Corporal Stephanie Clemen, with police in the city of Tagum, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Maragusan.

“We immediately went under our desks and when the ground stopped shaking we went straight outside,” Clemen told AFP