Two big earthquakes struck under the Celebes Sea between the Philippines and Indonesia late on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said.

The biggest quake, measured at 6.7 magnitude, hit 330 kilometres from the town of General Santos on the Philippine island of Mindanao, and roughly the same distance from Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

It was 512 kilometres deep, the USGS said.

It came two minutes after a 6.5-magnitude quake a few kilometres away and at a similar depth.

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, based in Hawaii, did not issue a tsunami warning following the earthquakes.

The area is part of the Pacific's so-called Ring of Fire, a zone of frequent tectonic activity where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common.

Source: Agence France-Presse