7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes offshore from southern Philippines and may cause tsunami
Tsunami warning after Philippines rocked by offshore earthquake
- An offshore earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck off a southern Philippine province on Friday morning, prompting tsunami warnings.
- The quake, centred 62 kilometres southeast of Manay town in Davao Oriental, led officials to order coastal villagers to evacuate to higher ground.
- The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned of hazardous waves up to 3 meters above normal tides on some Philippine coasts, with smaller waves possible in Indonesia and Palau.
- Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV urged residents in six coastal provinces to evacuate immediately.
- The Philippines, situated on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', is prone to seismic activity and is still recovering from a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on 30 September that killed 74 people.