Residents were injured and buildings damaged after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines this morning (Aug 18).<br /><br />The quake struck 68 kilometres southeast of Masbate Island in the central Bicol region at 8:03 am local time.<br /><br />Footage from Albay shows a river shaking as the powerful tremors caused the water to slam into the banks.<br /><br />While at a market in Masbate, there was damage to shops and stalls. The filmer said that at least one person was injured when items fell on them.<br /><br />Power lines outside a shopping mall in Legazpi City shook as the tremors rocked the area.<br /><br />Elsewhere in the country, a retired police colonel, was killed when his three-storey house collapsed. The number of people injured from the earthquake is still unknown.<br /><br />Officials said it was the strongest earthquake in eight months in the Philippines but there were no immediate threats of a tsunami.
