Strong quake shakes southern Philippines: USGS

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake shook the southern Philippines on Friday, sending panicked residents fleeing from their homes, knocking out power and causing at least one building to collapse. The strong quake struck at a depth of 27 kilometres (around 17 miles) in Mindanao, more than 700 kilometres southeast of the capital Manila, the US Geological Survey said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami threat. The Philippine seismological office said the quake registered at 6.7 with an epicentre 14 kilometres north of the southern city of Surigao. "There are a lot of cracks on the ground. Some of the bridges have also suffered cracks," said Daphne Agonia, the seismology chief based in Surigao. Aftershocks were also rocking the city, she added. "We are not okay. Mass hysteria here," journalist Danilo Adorador was quoted as saying on the website of Mindanews, a southern-based newspaper. The area's police chief, Senior Superintendent Anthony Maghari, told radio station DZMM that a school house had collapsed and that many other buildings had developed cracks. Many city residents had fled to higher ground for fear of a possible tsunami, he said. He added the city was suffering from a power outage and that police were checking for any casualties but darkness was hampering their efforts. Regional civil defence official Ryan Joloyohoy said there had been reports of "a lot of falling debris", suggesting there could be injuries. "We are not yet sure how many were injured. But we don't have any reports of deaths," he told AFP. Vance Larena, a tourist in Surigao, told DZMM that glass doors and windows "shattered" during the quake. "It was a good thing there was a table there (in the room) so we could duck and cover," he said. Many residents gathered in a field for safety, he said. "The people have calmed down but a while ago some were panicking, women were crying." The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many of Earth's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. The last lethal quake that hit the country was the 7.1-magnitude one that left over 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches when it struck the central islands in October, 2013.