Earthquake of magnitude 6.2 shakes south Philippines

Manila: An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale shook parts of southern Philippines on Thursday.

The quake, which struck at 11:20 am local time, triggered panic among residents but no reports of casualties have been received.

The epicentre of the quake lies at about 50km from the city of General Santos on the large southern island of Mindanao, according to the US Geological Survey.

The Philippines is prone to earthquakes, the deadliest of which left more that 1,500 people dead in Luzon.