A POWERFUL earthquake struck the island of Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, killing at least 6 people and injuring over a hundred people, disaster officials said on Saturday (February 11).

The 6.7 earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 km and the epicentre was about 13 km east of the city of Surigao, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

A report by the Surigao Del Norte regional disaster agency said power lines in Surigao City were cut and several structures were badly damaged. Surigao's airport was closed due to cracks in the runway.

At least 6 casualties, including a four-year old boy, were reported, while over 108 were injured, it said.

The earthquake was the strongest since the city was rocked by a 6.9 quake in 1879, according to the head of the Philippines' seismic agency.

The Philippines on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes.