Philippine earthquake death toll rises to 6, 2 missing

Manila, Nov 18: The death toll from the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck southern Philippines rose to six, with two others missing, the disaster agency said on Saturday.

Edgardo Posadas, director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said details of the reported deaths and missings in the southern Mindanao region are still being validated, reports Xinhua news agency.

Posadas said at least 450 people in the quake-affected areas required medical care.

The offshore quake, which occurred at 4.14 p.m. on Friday, hit at a depth of 72 km, about 34 km northwest of Sarangani town in Davao Occidental province.

The tremor was also felt in several areas on Mindanao island, damaging buildings and houses.

Aftershocks continued to shake the region.

The disaster agency was assessing the casualties and damage caused by the quake.

The archipelagic Philippines has frequent seismic activities due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire".

--IANS