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A 6.0-magnitude quake struck the town of Bansalan on Mindanao island at 12.22pm local time on Feb 7, 2021. (Photo: USGS)

A strong earthquake hit the southern Philippines on Sunday (Feb 7), though there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, the US Geological Survey and local officials said.

The 6.0-magnitude quake struck the town of Bansalan on Mindanao island at 12.22pm local time, the USGS said in a bulletin.

The quake was recorded at a depth of 15.6km, it said, slightly shallower than at first reported by the agency.

"It was strong, but things did not topple or fall off," Major Peter Glenn Ipong, the police chief of Bansalan, told AFP by telephone from the epicentre.

Ipong and civil defence officials in the region reported strong shaking but said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.The USGS in an earlier bulletin put the epicentre two kilometres east of the neighbouring town of Magsaysay before revising the location to Bansalan.

The Philippines is regularly rocked by quakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

The region around Bansalan, a town of 60,000 people, was struck by three deadly quakes over a two-week period in October 2019, killing at least 10 people//CNA

Dompet Dhuafa's volunteers distributed fast-food boxes to flood victims in Semarang city, Central Java, on Saturday (Feb 6, 2021). (ANTARA/Istimewa)

Charity organization Dompet Dhuafa's volunteers in Central Java Province distributed fast food boxes to many residents of Muktiharjo Lor neighborhood in Genuk Subdistrict, Semarang city, affected by flash floods on Saturday evening.

"Until Saturday evening, we kept searching for people getting stuck at home due to the floodwaters inundating their neighborhood area. They are served with fast food boxes," Head of Dompet Dhuafa-Central Java Office Satria said.

The fast-food boxes were also donated to those in Kuningan neighborhood, Semarang Utara Subdistrict, he said, adding that the Dompet Dhuafa volunteers also attempted to set up public kitchens to serve the affected residents.

The Semarang Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) recorded that the floods inundated various areas in 76 neighborhoods of 10 subdistricts following heavy rainfall showering Semarang, the capital of Central Java Province, from Friday to Saturday.The affected subdistricts are Tugu, Semarang Barat, Semarang Utara, Semarang Tengah, Semarang Selatan, Ngaliyan, Pedurungan, Semarang Timur, Gayamsari, and Genuk.

The mobility of people got disrupted due to the floodwaters inundating several road sections and train stations in Semarang.

The Indonesian Government claimed that the flooding was caused by extreme rainfall and tidal flooding.

"The rainfall data show that it is categorized as 'extreme'. Based on the hydrological analysis, the rainfall is a 50-year recurrence interval," Public Works and Housing Minister Basoeki Hadimoeljono said.

In removing the standing water, three water pumps were used to pump the flood water into the Semarang River, he told journalists on the sidelines of his visits to Kota Lama and several other affected areas on Saturday.The drainage system in Kota Lama that had been revitalized was designed as part of the city's flood prevention, he said, adding that the water pumps were indispensable to deal with the flood events.

Besides revitalizing the drainage system of Kota Lama, also known as Oude Staat or Little Netherlands owing to its colonial buildings, the revitalization of rivers flowing through Semarang city, was to be continued, he said.

Various parts of Indonesia are prone to natural disasters. Within the initial two months of 2021, several hydrological disasters have occurred in the islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.

In Java Island, for instance, landslides hit Cihanjuang Village in Cimanggung Sub-district, Sumedang District, West Java Province.Meanwhile, in Sumatra Island, flash floods and a landslide damaged seven homes and broke a bridge in Wih Ni Durin Village, Syiah Utama Sub-district, Bener Meriah District, Aceh Province, following incessant heavy rains in the Gayo highland area.

In the island of Kalimantan, massive floods and landslides also hit several parts of South Kalimantan following incessant downpour on January 12, 2021//ANT

Mount Merapi. (ANTARA FOTO/Andreas Fitri Atmoko/foc/pri)

Mount Merapi located between Central Java and Yogyakarta Provinces, on Sunday morning spewed hot lava for 10 times with a maximum sliding distance of one kilometer, according to the Geological Disaster Research and Technology Development Center (BPPTKG).

"Avalanches of incandescent lava occurred for 10 times, with a maximum sliding distance of 1,000 meters to the southwest or upstream of Krasak and Boyong Rivers," Head of BPPTKG Hanik Humaida said here on Sunday morning.

During the observation period of midnight until 6 a.m., Mount Merapi also experienced 27 earthquake avalanches with an amplitude of 3-11 mm for 11.4-52.2 seconds and two multi-phase earthquakes with an amplitude of 6 mm for 7.6-9.4 seconds.

During Saturday's observation period at 18.00 until 24.00 local time, Mount Merapi had launched incandescent lava avalanches for 12 times, with a maximum sliding distance of 1,200 meters to the southwest.The BPPTKG maintains the status of Mount Merapi at Level III or Alert.

Potential hazards due to lava avalanches and hot clouds are estimated to cover the south-southwest sector, which includes the Boyong, Bedog, Krasak and Bebeng rivers.

The 2,968-meter Mount Merapi is the most active among the around 130 active volcanoes in the country.

In the meantime, the 3,676-meter Mount Semeru in East Java Province has also been erupting for several times since January this year, displacing hundreds of people and affecting several villages with volcanic ash rains//ANT

Flood water inundated Semarang city's Kota Lama neighborhood area on Saturday (Feb 6, 2021) FOTO ANTARA/ I.C.Senjaya

The Indonesian Government claimed that flash floods that inundated Semarang city's Kota Lama (Old Town) neighborhood and several other areas on Saturday was caused by extreme rainfall and tidal flooding.

"The rainfall data show that it is categorized as 'extreme'. Based on the hydrological analysis, the rainfall is a 50-year recurrence interval," Public Works and Housing Minister Basoeki Hadimoeljono said.

In removing the standing water, three water pumps were used to pump the flood water into the Semarang River, he told journalists on the sidelines of his visits to Kota Lama and several other affected areas on Saturday.

The drainage system in Kota Lama that had been revitalized was designed as part of the city's flood prevention, he said, adding that the water pumps were indispensable to deal with the flood events.Besides revitalizing the drainage system of Kota Lama, also known as Oude Staat or Little Netherlands owing to its colonial buildings, the revitalization of rivers flowing through Semarang city, was to be continued, he said.

The Semarang Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) recorded that the floods inundated various areas of 10 subdistricts following heavy rainfall showering this Central Java Province's capital city from Friday to Saturday.

Various parts of Indonesia are prone to natural disasters. Within the initial two months of 2021, several hydrological disasters have occurred in the islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.

In Java Island, for instance, landslides hit Cihanjuang Village in Cimanggung Sub-district, Sumedang District, West Java Province.Meanwhile, in Sumatra Island, flash floods and a landslide damaged seven homes and broke a bridge in Wih Ni Durin Village, Syiah Utama Sub-district, Bener Meriah District, Aceh Province, following incessant heavy rains in the Gayo highland area.

In the island of Kalimantan, massive floods and landslides also hit several parts of South Kalimantan following incessant downpour on January 12, 2021.

The floods affected the districts of Banjar, Tapin, Tabalong, Balangan, and Hulu Sungai Tengah and the cities of Tanah Laut and Banjar Baru.

The massive floods, triggered by incessant heavy rains since Jan 12, reportedly claimed 15 lives, swamped 24,379 houses, and displaced 39,549 people.

According to Tanah Laut District Head Sukamta, the massive floods also triggered landslides that claimed the lives of five residents.The landslides struck the Guntung Besar Village and Gunung Keramaian area of Panggung Baru Village in Pelaihari Sub-district, Sukamta stated.

The floods also toppled two bridges connecting the areas of Angsau and Pabahanan sub-districts as well Kurau and Takisung sub-districts//ANT