MANILA: A 6.8magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the southern Philippines early Saturday, the United States Geological Survey said, with no tsunami warning issued.

The quake hit at a depth of 17 kilometres (10.5 miles) about 20 kilometres from the village of Barcelona on the east of Mindanao island, the USGS said.

The local seismological agency said no damage was expected, but it warned of aftershocks.

Earthquakes regularly strike the Philippines, which sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of intense seismic and volcanic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Most are too weak to be felt by humans but strong and destructive quakes come at random with no technology available to predict when and where they will happen.

amj/mca