MANILA, June 17 — An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 struck the Babuyan islands in the northern Philippines today, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake was at a depth of 34 km (21.13 miles), USGS said.

The Philippines’ state seismology agency said it was expecting aftershocks but no damage as a result of the offshore quake.

The South-east Asian nation lies within the Pacific "Ring of Fire,” where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common. — Reuters