A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Cebu and Negros islands late Monday morning, killing a child and triggering a local tsunami alert.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued the tsunami alert for the central Philippines, saying the quake could trigger a 3-foot (1-meter) wave. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a warning.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered 44 miles (72 kilometers) north of Dumaguete city on Negros Island in the central Philippines. It hit at a depth of 29 miles (46 kilometers).
People rushed out of schools, malls and offices during the quake. Officials in some areas suspended work.
A child died when a concrete fence of a house collapsed in Taysan town in Negros Oriental province, said Benito Ramos, who heads the Office of Civil Defense.
A mall in San Carlos city in neighboring Negros Occidental province, also on Negros Island, was damaged when its windows were shattered by the shaking, he said.
The quake was also felt in central Cebu city, the country's second largest, where it lasted about 30 seconds.
