Deep, 6.2-magnitude earthquake shakes part of Philippines southwest of the capital

The location of an earthquake in the Philippines is shown with a blue dot on this map from USGS.

MANILA, Philippines — A deep earthquake shook part of the Philippines southwest of the capital on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.

The 6.2 magnitude morning earthquake was near Hukay and about 120 kilometres (75 miles) below the surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Deep quakes are often widely felt but with less potential to cause major damage. Hukay is about 140 kilometres (87 miles) from Manila.

The Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries, but its assessment was ongoing.

The Philippines experiences regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.

Mayon Volcano, the Philippines' most active, is currently erupting and though it has been gentle so far, it has still forced some 18,000 people to flee the area in the northeastern Albay province.