5.8 magnitude offshore earthquake jolts southern Philippines

An offshore earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 jolted Surigao del Sur province in southern Philippines on Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

The institute said the quake, which occurred at 6:24 p.m. local time (1024 GMT), hit at a depth of 1 kilometer, about 75 kilometers northeast of Bayabas town.

The tremor was also felt in the provinces of Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Norte, the institute said, adding that the tectonic quake will trigger aftershocks but not cause damage.

The Philippines has frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire." (ANI/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )