Southern Philippines jolted by 5.9-magnitude offshore earthquake

Manila, April 19 ( /Xinhua) An offshore earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 jolted Davao Oriental province in the southern Philippines on Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. The institute said the quake, which occurred at 9:23 am local time, hit at a depth of 49 kilometers, about 54 kilometers southeast of Manay town in the province. The institute said the tectonic quake will trigger aftershocks and can cause damages. The Philippines has frequent seismic activities due to its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. /XINHUA ACL0859