MANILA (Reuters): The Philippines’ seismology service reported that a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred Friday night off the island province of Leyte in the country’s center, with predicted damage and aftershocks.

The earthquake was measured by the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) with a magnitude of 5.9, with a reported depth of 10 km (6.21 miles).
Authorities in the Philippines did not immediately disclose any damage or injuries resulting from the offshore earthquake.

Located in the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire,” the nation of archipelagos is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

When the earthquake struck, “people panicked and rushed outside the mall,” according to Harold Giganto, a police officer in the Leyte coast town of Dulag, who was guarding a checkpoint near a shopping center.

According to Giganto, the tremor was “quite strong” and there were no early reports of damage or casualties.