Mild Earthquakes Rock Southern Philippines

November 17, 2009 7:09 a.m. EST

Davao, Philippines (AHN) - Two small earthquakes hit the southern region of Mindanao on Tuesday. No injuries or damages were reported.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a magnitude 5.2 quake struck at 3:58 am local time, 60 miles east, south-east of Davao, the region's largest city and one of several tourism hubs in the nation. A second quake of the same magnitude occurred at 8:39 am, this time 130 miles of Davao.

The Philippine Volcanology and Seismology recorded the second quake as having a magnitude of 5.1. The agency said no damage or aftershocks are expected.

An average of one to two earthquakes with magnitudes of 5 or more occur in Mindanao every year. The last major quake to hit the region was in March 2002, when a 7.5-strong tremor struck 120 miles of Davao, killing 15 people, injuring 100 others, and causing landslides and tsunamis as high as 3 meters.