6.0 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Philippines

An offshore earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 rocked Leyte province in the central Philippines, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

The institute said on Friday that the quake, which occurred at 6:16 p.m. local time, hit at a depth of 8 km, about 32 km southeast of Dulag, a coastal town, Xinhua news agency reported.

The institute added that the tectonic quake will trigger aftershocks and cause damage. The tremor was also felt in some parts of the province.

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