Magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes southern Philippines, residents rush out in panic

An earthquake measuring a magnitude of 6.4 struck 69 km north-west of General Santos in the Philippines' Mindanao on Wednesday, according to a report by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

No destructive Pacific-wide tsunami was expected after the earthquake, initially measured at 6.7, the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported.

Residents in the southern Philippines dashed out of their homes and shopping malls in panic after the earthquake struck, according to reports. However, sources said that no major damage occurred. Only a small college building was ruined in the incident.

The Phillippines sees frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity because it lies in the 'Pacific Ring of Fire', a seismically active region that lies on fault lines.

A 1990 earthquake in the Philippines had killed as many as 2000 people, the deadliest disaster that the country has witnessed till date.