Massive 7.6-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Philippines, Tsunami Warning Issued

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 hit the Philippines on Friday, resulting in the issuance of tsunami warnings and the evacuation of coastal regions, as per the report of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The earthquake that occurred offshore was recorded at a depth of 10 km in the vicinity of Manay town, Davao Oriental, Mindanao. Fearing aftershocks and damages, the authorities advised the people living in the coastal areas of the central and southern Philippines to go up in elevation or move inland for safety's sake.

Later, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC), located in Hawaii, confirmed that the tsunami risk in the Philippines was over, although alerts from other organizations were still in place.

Potential Impact

PTWC had initially warned that dangerous waves could occur within 186 miles of the quake’s epicentre. Waves as high as 3 meters were expected along parts of the Philippine coast, with smaller waves predicted for Indonesia and Palau. A tsunami warning was also issued for Indonesia’s northern Sulawesi and Papua regions, cautioning of waves up to 50 cm.

Local Response

The Governor of Davao Oriental, Edwin Jubahib, described the quake as “very strong,” reporting panic among residents and minor structural damage in some buildings. Social media videos show people fleeing buildings and hospitals, including Tagum City Davao Hospital, while water in fish tanks and containers shook violently during the tremors.

Background

The earthquake on Friday happened only two weeks after a 6.9-magnitude quake off Cebu which took 72 lives, making the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines for more than ten years. Both events were located undersea, which again showed that the Philippines is susceptible to earthquakes in the Pacific "Ring of Fire" area.

Authorities are still keeping a close eye on the situation and have maintained precautionary alerts for the surrounding areas.