At least six people have been killed and over 100 others hurt in a powerful earthquake that hit a southern Philippine city on Mindanao island, a provincial information officer said on Saturday.

The Surigao del Norte provincial government corrected itself on the death toll after an official earlier said the death toll had risen to 15 in the morning.‍

According to the revised report by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), a 6.7-magnitude quake struck at 10.03 p.m. on Friday, 14 kilometers northwest of Surigao City in Surigao del Norte province.

Surigao del Norte Governor Sol Matugas confirmed in an earlier TV interview that four people had died in the quake.

The government disaster agency in Manila had yet to issue official data on damages or casualties.

The quake severely damaged Surigao City. There were power outages in some areas and at least three bridges were no longer passable. The quake also damaged some buildings and caused houses to collapse.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) announced that the Surigao airport would be closed until March 10 and all flights in and out were cancelled due to runway damage brought about by the earthquake.

Local communication facilities were also affected. People had to rely on mobile phones as fixed phone lines were not available. To ensure safety, local schools and other institutes were also closed. 

By 5.00 a.m. on Saturday, the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology had recorded 89 aftershocks after Friday's quake.

The US Geological Survey agency meanwhile said the quake, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, had struck at a depth of 27 kilometers. 

Tremors were felt in neighboring provinces such as southern Leyte, Mandate City, Butuan City, Tacloban and Cebu City in the central Philippines.

A Surigao-based television station also posted pictures online, showing deep cracks in the ground.