Philippines earthquake: Magnitude 6.0 tremor hits Mindanao

Pupils and teachers practise evacuation procedures during an earthquake drill at an elementary school in Quezon City, Philippines. EPA

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Philippines on Tuesday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.

The quake hit at a depth of 10km near San Mariano on the island of Mindanao.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said damage and aftershocks are expected.

The earthquake struck just after 2pm local time in the mountainous province of Davao de Oro.

Footage on social media showed schools and residential buildings being evacuated after the quake hit.

Earthquakes are common in the Philippines, located on the “Ring of Fire” — an arc of intense seismic and volcanic activity across South-East Asia and the Pacific.

Evacuation drills are carried out nationwide four times a year to prepare for future quakes.

The country is vulnerable to other natural disasters, including typhoons.

Six people were killed and thousands displaced in September when a typhoon struck the north of the country.

More than 170,000 people were moved to emergency shelters from high-risk areas in Quezon alone.

Typhoon Haiyan left more than 7,300 dead or missing in 2013 and was one of the worst cyclones ever recorded.

Rescuers from the quake-prone nation travelled to Turkey to assist in rescue efforts after a quake killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria last month.

Ankara said it was "deeply moved" to receive aid from an 85-member team which helped search through the rubble.