1 dead in Philippines' 6.6-magnitude quake (Ld)

Manila, Aug 18 (IANS) One person was killed on Tuesday in a 6.6-magnitude earthquake that struck Masbate province in central Philippines, police said.In an updated bulletin, the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs) said the magnitude of 6.6 quake, which struck at 8,03 a.m., hit at a depth of 21 km, about 7 km southeast of Cataingan town of Masbate province.Police Colonel Joriz Cantoria of the Masbate provincial police said in an initial report that a retired police officer died after being hit by a collapsed wall in his home, reports Xinhua news agency.Cantoria also reported that the quake damaged several houses, roads and buildings, including the port of the seaside town and the public market.The Phivolcs revised the magnitude of the Masbate earthquake to 6.6 from the earlier magnitude 6.5 on Tuesday morning.The institute said it has recorded more than a dozen aftershocks since the initial quake struck.The Philippines has frequent seismic activities due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire".
--IANS ksk/