7.6 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Southern Philippines, Tsunami Warning Issued

The earthquake had its epicenter about 62 km southeast of Manay; it was caused by movement along a fault at a shallow depth of 10 km.

An offshore earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck a province in the southern Philippines on Friday (local time), forcing authorities to order evacuations in nearby coastal provinces due to the possibility of a tsunami.

Update: Tsunami alert lifted – US tsunami warning centre: BBC

The tsunami alert has been lifted following the earthquake, the US Tsunami Warning Center has said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center earlier warned of waves of up to 3 m (10 ft) above tide level reaching the Philippine coast. It said coasts in Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau could see waves reaching 1 m.

Update: Aftershocks continue to shake the region

There have been a series of aftershocks off the coast of Mindanao, with magnitudes ranging from 2.6 to 4.9, according to PHIVOLCS, the country’s volcanic agency. The initial earthquake, which struck on Friday morning, had a magnitude of 7.5, according to the Philippine seismology agency. The US Geological Survey and Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre put its magnitude at 7.4.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said damage and aftershocks are expected from the quake, which had its epicenter about 62 kilometers southeast of Manay town in Davao Oriental province and was triggered by movement along a fault at a surface depth of 10 kilometers.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based in Honolulu, reported the possibility of dangerous waves within a 300-kilometer radius of the epicenter. It indicated the possibility of waves up to 3 meters above normal tide level for some Philippine coasts near the epicenter.

Smaller waves were also possible in Indonesia and Palau. The deputy administrator of the Civil Defense Office, Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, warned that tsunami waves could impact six nearby provinces up to two hours after the earthquake struck at 9:43 a.m. He urged residents to move immediately to higher ground or away from coastal areas.

“We urge these coastal communities to remain alert and evacuate immediately to higher ground until further notice,” Alejandro said at a press conference. “Vessel owners in ports and those in coastal areas… should secure their vessels and stay away from coastal areas,” he added.