At least 7 killed as strong quakes rock southern Philippines

Only minor damage reported; authorities issue tsunami alerts that are later lifted

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Two powerful quakes struck off the southern Philippines on Oct 10, killing at least seven people and triggering tsunami warnings.

The biggest of the quakes, with a magnitude of 7.4, hit about 20km off Manay town on the country's southern Mindanao island just before 10am, according to the United States Geological Survey.

An aftershock with a magnitude of 6.7 rocked the same area almost 10 hours later, one of scores that followed the morning quake.

Both came 11 days after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake killed 75 people and injured more than 1,200 in Cebu province in the central Philippines, according to official data.

Three miners tunnelling for gold were killed when a shaft collapsed in the mountains west of Manay during the larger quake, said rescue official Kent Simeon of Pantukan town.

One miner was pulled out alive and several others were injured in the remote hamlet of Gumayan, he added.

"Some tunnels collapsed, but the miners managed to get out," Mr Simeon said.