MANILA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- An offshore earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 rocked Davao Occidental province in the southern Philippines before dawn Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
The institute said the quake, which occurred at 4:48 a.m. local time (GMT 2048 Monday), hit at a depth of 76 kilometers, about 119 kilometers southeast of Sarangani island in the municipality of Sarangani.
The institute said the tectonic quake is expected to trigger aftershocks but does not pose a tsunami threat. There is no report of casualties.
The earthquake was also felt in some parts of Sarangani province, the institute added.
The archipelagic Philippines has frequent seismic activities due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire." ■
