Tsunami warning after 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Philippines

Residents walk past damages caused by an earthquake as they evacuate to safer grounds at Hinatuan town, Surigao del Sur province, southern Philippines on Sunday Dec. 3, 2023. A powerful earthquake struck Saturday off the southern Philippine coast, prompting many villagers to flee their homes in panic around midnight after Philippine authorities issued a tsunami warning. (AP Photo/Ivy Marie Mangadlao)
Based on the quake's magnitude, a one metre tsunami may hit but the wave could be higher in enclosed coves and bays. Credit: AP

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck off the coast of an island in the Philippines on Saturday triggering a tsunami warning to be issued and local residents to flee their homes.

The quake struck at 10.37 pm local time off Mindanao, measuring a depth of 20 miles. There were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.

Villagers stay inside a temporary evacuation center at Hinatuan town, Surigao del Sur province. Credit: AP

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said based on the magnitude and location it expected tsunami waves to hit the southern Philippines and parts of Indonesia, Palau and Malaysia.

Based on the quake's magnitude, Teresito Bacolcol, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said a one-metre tsunami may hit but the wave could be higher in enclosed coves and bays.

A Philippine government agency advised the residents of Surigao Del Sur and Davao Oriental provinces on the eastern shores of Mindanao to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move inland.

Owners of boats in harbors, estuaries or shallow coastal waters off the two provinces have been advised to secure their boats and move away from the waterfront. Boats already at sea should stay offshore in deep waters.

Japanese authorities have issued evacuation orders in parts of Okinawa Prefecture, encouraging thousands of residents to leave their homes.

The Philippines experiences regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.

A fish vendor passes by a partially collapsed multipurpose covered court in Tagbina town, southern Philippines Credit: AP

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