The US Geological Survey reported that a 6.0-magnitude earthquake shook the southern Philippines on Tuesday (Mar 7), although there were no reports of fatalities or significant property damage.

In the mountainous gold-mining province of Davao de Oro on Mindanao island, a few kilometres from Maragusan municipality, the earthquake struck at around 2 p.m. local time (0600 GMT).

There had been a landslip close to a road, Cherrylyn Dapiton of the Maragusan disaster office acknowledged, but no one had been harmed or traffic had been halted.

According to Corporal Stephanie Clemen of the police in the city of Tagum, which is about 40 kilometres from Maragusan, the earthquake lasted for around 30 seconds and was followed by aftershocks.

After the shaking stopped, “we quickly ran beneath our desks and rushed straight outside,” Clemen told AFP.

We are still outside because a moderate aftershock just hit.”

While the quake did not appear to have destroyed anything, Clemen said, it was strong enough to “cause fear”.

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