A strong earthquake struck off the coast of the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Friday evening, shaking communities still recovering from a deadly tremor earlier this month. No casualties or significant damage had been reported in the immediate aftermath, according to local authorities.

The quake occurred at around 7:40 pm local time (11:40 GMT), with its epicentre located near the municipality of Sarangani in Davao Occidental province. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said no tsunami warning was issued. Shaking was felt across a wide area, with the strongest reported intensity of V on the Phivolcs scale in Kiamba, Sarangani, indicating very strong ground movement capable of causing objects to fall and minor damage to vulnerable structures. Residents in Davao City, General Santos, and other parts of Mindanao reported feeling the tremor.

There were notable discrepancies in the magnitude and depth reported by different monitoring agencies. The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported a magnitude of 6.5 or 6.7, depending on the bulletin, while the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) recorded 6.4. Phivolcs put the magnitude at 6.6. Depth estimates ranged from 10 kilometres, according to Phivolcs, to 65.7 kilometres, according to the USGS. Such variations are common in the early hours after a seismic event as data are refined.

The earthquake occurred less than three weeks after a magnitude 7.8 quake struck the same region on 8 June, killing more than 80 people and injuring over 1,300, according to Philippine disaster officials. A further magnitude 6.6 tremor on 15 June added to the anxiety. The Philippines lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic and volcanic activity. Phivolcs has advised residents to expect aftershocks. Monitoring continues, and authorities are assessing the situation in remote areas.