5.3-magnitude earthquake rattles southern Philippines

MANILA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A 5.3-magnitude earthquake rattled Surigao del Norte province in the southern Philippines on Friday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

The institute said the quake, which struck at 1:26 p.m. local time, was detected at a depth of 9 km, 71 km southeast of General Luna town.

The tremor was also felt in Gingoog City and Suirgao City, also in Mindanao region in the southern Philippines.

The institute also said the tremor, which was tectonic in origin, is not expected to cause any damage. However, it said that aftershocks may be expected.

After the initial quake, the earthquake-monitoring institute also detected four more lesser magnitude earthquakes, ranging from magnitude 3.0 to 4.4.