5.7-magnitude earthquake jolts Philippines

Manila, Feb 8 An offshore earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale jolted the Davao Oriental province of the Philippines on Monday morning, authorities said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake, which struck at 8 a.m., hit at a depth of 44 km, about 211 km southeast of Governor Generoso town in the province, reports Xinhua news agency.

The tremor, which was tectonic in origin, is not expected to cause damage and aftershocks, the institute said.

Sunday's temblor came a day after an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale jolted the Davao del Sur province.

The institute had said the quake, which was also tectonic in origin, would trigger aftershocks and cause damage.

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

( With inputs from IANS )