A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines on Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

The institute said the quake, which struck at 2:11 p.m. local time (0611 GMT), hit 6 km northwest of Padada town, Davao del Sur province, with a depth of 30 km.

The quake, which was tectonic in origin, will trigger aftershocks and damage.

The Philippines has frequent seismic activity due to its location along the "Pacific Ring of Fire."