One dead in 6.6-magnitude earthquake in Philippines

MANILA - At least one person died in a 6.6-magnitude earthquake that rattled Masbate province in the central Philippines on Tuesday morning, local police said.

In an updated bulletin, the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs) said the magnitude of 6.6 quake, which struck at 8:03 am local time, hit at a depth of 21 km, about 7 km southeast of Cataingan town of Masbate province.

Police Colonel Joriz Cantoria of the Masbate provincial police said in an initial report that a retired police officer died after being hit by a collapsed wall in his home.

Cantoria also reported that the quake damaged several houses, roads and buildings, including the port of the seaside town and the public market.

"Masbate is conducting search and retrieval operations," Cantoria added.

The Phivolcs revised the magnitude of the Masbate earthquake to 6.6 from the earlier magnitude 6.5 on Tuesday morning.

The institute said it has recorded more than a dozen aftershocks since the initial quake struck.

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