Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake Hits Southern Philippines

Xinhua/APP

Manila: An offshore earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck Davao Oriental province in the southern Philippines on Friday morning, prompting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to issue a tsunami warning for coastal areas in Mindanao.

In its report, the institute said the quake occurred at 9:43 a.m. local time (0143 GMT) at a depth of 20 kilometers, approximately 44 kilometers northeast of the municipality of Manay. The institute initially reported the earthquake’s magnitude as 7.6.

Authorities strongly advised residents in coastal communities to move immediately to higher ground and stay away from the shore, warning that hazardous tsunami waves of more than one meter could impact areas near the epicenter within minutes to hours.

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“These waves may continue for hours,” the tsunami warning stated, adding that they may rise more than one meter above normal tides and could be higher in enclosed bays and straits.

Local disaster risk reduction offices across Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, and nearby provinces have been placed on alert status as authorities continue to monitor the situation for possible aftershocks and sea-level changes.

The tremor was also felt in the Eastern Visayas region, particularly in Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, and Leyte provinces in the central Philippines.

Local officials reported that the powerful quake caused cracks in several buildings in the affected areas, but no fatalities have been reported so far.

The Philippines frequently experiences seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for intense earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.