Powerful Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Strikes off Philippines’ Mindanao Island

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck off the Philippine’s Mindanao island on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.5, struck at 6:53 a.m. (22:53 GMT on Friday) and was centered 71 miles (114.26 km) east of Davao on Mindanao.

It was a deep tremor, 43 miles (69 km) below the seabed, and was not expected to cause a tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. A magnitude 6.3 quake is considered strong and is capable of causing severe damage, but the effects of this one are likely to be mitigated by the quake’s depth and the fact that it occurred offshore. READ MORE