A 6.7-magnitude earthquake shook central Philippines on 18 August, damaging buildings and roads and killing at least one person.

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake kills at least one in the Philippines. (Photo: AP)

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck southeast of Masbate Island in the Bicol region 8:30am (7:03am in Viet Nam) at the depth of 33km, with a dozen of aftershocks.

The quake was strong and there are a lot of damaged houses, said an official from Cataingan town on Masbate, a few kilometres west of the epicentre.

In the neighbouring Palanas town, the police said that several patients, including pregnant women about to go into labour, were evacuated from a hospital as a precaution in case of aftershocks.

in the city of Iloilo about 400km southwest of Masbate, residents ran out onto the streets.

The Philippines lies along the "Pacific Ring of Fire" which is surrounded by numerous active faults and trenches on both sides of the archipelago. The country has frequent seismic activity.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) records an average of 20 earthquakes a day and 100 to 150 earthquakes are felt per year.

In December last year, the country’s Mindanao island was struck by a 6.8-magnitude earthquake, leaving three people dead and injuring many others.

Source: VNA