A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao Island in the Philippines
Manila: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Davao Oriental province in the southern Philippines on Wednesday morning.
The institute said the quake struck at 11:02 a.m. local time at a depth of 42 kilometers, with its epicenter about 47 kilometers off the coastal city of Manay.
Tremors were felt across the island.
The institute said aftershocks and damage are expected, especially in areas near the epicenter, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Police and disaster officials near the epicenter said there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Earlier on December 22, 2025, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake shook waters near the Philippines, the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences said. The epicenter, with a depth of 10 km, was initially located at 8.32 degrees north latitude and 127.57 degrees east longitude.
In October 2025, a powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines, causing widespread damage, killing many people, and creating widespread fear. Numerous buildings were damaged or collapsed, and power outages in many areas exacerbated the panic.
The earthquake struck approximately 19 kilometers northeast of the coastal town of Bogo in Cebu province and at a shallow depth of approximately five kilometers. Following the tremor, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a tsunami warning as a precaution, which was later withdrawn after monitoring confirmed that no dangerous waves had formed.
The Philippines experiences frequent and often strong earthquakes because it lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most geologically active zones. This large belt is characterized by the constant movement of tectonic plates, which causes intense seismic and volcanic activity.
In the central Philippines, seismic activity is primarily influenced by the interaction between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate. To the east, the Philippine Sea Plate is being pushed beneath the Philippine Microplate along the Philippine Trench. To the west, the Eurasian, or Sunda, Plate subducts beneath the islands along the Manila and Negros Trenches.
This rare ‘double subduction’ setting creates immense pressure underground. Although Tuesday’s earthquake was caused by a shallow local fault, the internal stresses of these converging plates played a significant role, explaining why the country is highly vulnerable to earthquakes.
