An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 struck central Mindanao in the southern Philippines, causing at least one hotel on the island to collapse, a disaster official said on Thursday.
The quake, which the United States Geological Survey (USGS) initially measured at magnitude 6.8, was the third quake to hit the area since October 16
The quake was later put at magnitude 6.5 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
A hotel in Kidapawan City that also housed other businesses collapsed, but there was no one inside, Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista told DZMM radio.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from the quake.
The quake's epicentre was 33 km (20 miles) northeast of Tulunan town in Cotabato province, which lies west of Davao City.
"It was very strong and it lasted for a long time. People started to panic and moved to open spaces," Tulunan Vice Mayor Maureen Ann Villamor told DZBB radio.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who was in his hometown Davao City about 114 km from Kidapawan City when the quake struck, is safe, his spokesman, Salvador Panelo, told ANC news channel.
PHIVOLCS said Thursday's quake could be considered an aftershock following the 6.6 quake that jolted central Mindanao on October 29 and left at least eight dead and more than 300 injured.
The integrity of several buildings and homes on Mindanao have been weakened by a 6.3 earthquake that struck on October 16.
A powerful earthquake hit the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Sunday, killing a child, injuring dozens and damaging buildings in an area still recovering from a string of deadly quakes in October.
Police said a rescue operation had been launched at a heavily damaged market building in Padada near the 6.8 magnitude quake's epicentre, which is about 90 kilometres (55 miles) south of the major city of Davao.
Patients were evacuated from hospitals as a precaution and nervous crowds massed outside shopping malls after the jolt and dozens of smaller, but strong aftershocks.
"We can no longer use our office because the walls cracked and the stairs collapsed," local police spokeswoman Lea Orbuda told AFP. "The power is off and the water taps are dry."
A provincial police commander said the number of injured across the hardest hit areas had reached 62, with one confirmed fatality after a child was crushed under a collapsed structure.
The commander, Alberto Lupaz, said there appeared to be some people trapped under the damaged market building but rescue efforts had been delayed.
"They (rescuers) were attempting to check the rubble... the aftershocks were too strong," Lupaz said.
President Rodrigo Duterte, who is from Davao, was caught up in the earthquake but was unharmed, officials said.
"The First Lady... said the car she was riding (in) was swaying," spokesman Salvador Panelo said. "They are unhurt."
There was no threat of a tsunami, said the US Geological Survey, which initially reported the magnitude at 6.9.
The Philippines is situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
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