Rescue workers search for victims in the north of the island. It is unclear how many people are still missing.
The epicenter of the quake would have been off the coast. According to the Filipino seismological institute, there were more than 370 after -shocks with a force up to 4.8. A warning has been issued for a possible tsunami with a raised water level of one meter.
The Philippines are on the so-called ring of fire, an area that extends from Japan through Southeast Asia and over the Pacific area where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions regularly take place. There is no technology available that can predict when and where they will happen.
© ANP / EPA