6.6-magnitude offshore earthquake strikes S. Philippines

MANILA - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said a 6.6-magnitude offshore earthquake struck Davao Oriental province in the southern Philippines on Friday evening.

The institute said the tectonic earthquake occurred at 7:34 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 km, with the epicenter 90 km southwest of the coast of Balut Island.

A 7.8-magnitude quake struck the region on June 8, killing at least 81.

The Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia, is frequently affected by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a vast horseshoe-shaped zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity surrounding the Pacific Ocean.