Philippines: Mindanao island rocked by earthquake of 5.8 magnitude, no injures reported

Manila: A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck south Mindanao island in the Philippines on Saturday, though there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties,the US Geological Survey said

The quake’s epicentre was 21 miles (34 km) east of the city of General Santos, which has a population of almost 06,00,000.

The USGS said the quake was 46.2 miles (74 km) deep but European quake agency EMSC put it at only 6.2 miles (10 km) deep, which would increase its impact.

In the immediate vicinity of the epicentre tremors were classed as strong, the service said.

The temblor, initially reported as a magnitude 6.0, struck at 8.30 am (0030 GMT), the USGS said.

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake is considered moderate and is capable of causing considerable damage.

A strong 6.5 quake stuck the country on 1 July, killing two people and leaving 72 others injured.

The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.