An earthquake of at least magnitude 7.5 struck Mindanao in the southern Philippines late on Saturday, prompting evacuation orders due to the looming threat of tsunami waves. The Philippine Seismology Agency Phivolcs warned of potential waves hitting the Philippines by midnight local time, possibly lasting for hours. Additionally, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System cautioned about waves reaching up to 3 meters above the tide level along some Philippine coasts.
The tremor raised concerns not only in the Philippines but also along southwestern Japanese coasts, where waves of approximately one meter were anticipated to arrive around 30 minutes after impacting the Philippines. While no significant damage was initially reported, Phivolcs emphasized the likelihood of aftershocks.
Situated on the “Ring of Fire,” a region prone to seismic activity, the Philippines experiences frequent earthquakes. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported the earthquake’s magnitude as 7.5 at a depth of 63 kilometers, while the U.S. Geological Survey registered it at 7.6 with a depth of 32 kilometers, occurring at 10:37 p.m. local time.
Evacuation orders were issued for coastal areas in Surigao Del Sur and Davao Oriental provinces, urging immediate evacuation or relocation to safer inland locations. The earthquake disrupted power in affected regions, notably in the coastal town of Hinatuan near the epicenter. As of now, disaster response teams have not reported casualties or significant damage.
Sources By Agencies
