MANILA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- An offshore earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 rocked Cebu province in the central Philippines on Tuesday evening, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.
In a report, the institute stated that the quake, which occurred at 9:59 p.m. local time, struck at a depth of 10 km, approximately 17 km northeast of Bogo City.
The tremor was also felt in the provinces of Northern Samar, Bohol, and Sorsogon, as well as in nearby central Philippine provinces. However, there have been no reported casualties so far.
The institute said that the tectonic quake will trigger aftershocks and can cause significant damage.
Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol warned the public to stay out of the beach due to the possibility of a minor sea level disturbance.
Bacolcol said that they received reports that the top of an old church has collapsed, adding that some areas have experienced a power outage after the strong quake.
The archipelagic Philippines has frequent seismic activities due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire." ■
