Manila, Nov 19 (IANS): The death toll from the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked the Philippines rose to eight, the Philippines' disaster agency said on Sunday.

The number of casualties "is still subject to validation," adding that provincial officials are continuously conducting assessments, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

The agency said one died in Davao Occidental province, three in South Cotabato province, and four in Sarangani province, Xinhua news agency reported.

The quake affected over 1,500 people. Around 50 houses and over 70 structures were damaged, including school buildings, government facilities, bridges, roads and private establishments. Some of the damaged roads are still not passable, the agency added.

The offshore quake, which occurred at 4:14 p.m. local time (0814 GMT) on Friday, hit about 34 km northwest of Sarangani town in Davao Occidental with a depth of 72 km.

The archipelagic country has frequent seismic activities due to its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire.