6.1 earthquake hits southern Philippines, no significant damage reported- second in a week

A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of the Philippines on Saturday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).The quake occurred at a depth of 101 kilometres and was located approximately 70 kilometres from the nearest point in Davao Occidental province.There were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage.“The shake was not that strong, but the tables and computers here at the office shook for (about five seconds),” Marlawin Fuentes, a provincial rescuer from the tiny island of Sarangani, told AFP.This is the second earthquake in the Philippines this week. On Tuesday, a 6.2 magnitude quake struck the northern part of the country.The Philippines experiences frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. While most quakes are too weak to be felt, stronger and more destructive ones can strike without warning, and there is currently no technology capable of accurately predicting them.